Let Your Heart Be Your Guide
by SmileWhileYouStillHaveTeeth
Summary: After stopping her execution, Snow White visits the Evil Queen with an offer - a fresh start in a land without magic. Is this a chance for Regina to find her happy ending? Or will it take a little more work? Follow the highs and lows of the Swan-Mills family/SQ with a few laughs and twists along the way. AU: canon divergence, contains some OCs.
1. Prologue

_A/N: The prologue is based on the FTL flashbacks in 'The Cricket Game' 2.10._

 _I have had the basic idea of Snow White sending The EQ to 'a land without magic' for quite a while. As time went on and the idea grew, I decided to attempt my first SQ fic._

 _I am British so my apologies if my spelling may seem odd at times. I'm trying my best to swap my British language to American, but I may slip up. Sorry in advance._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own any of the OUAT characters, or anything else Disney or ABC related. The only things I own are my mistakes._

* * *

 _Regina stood motionless; eyes blindfolded and hands bound, awaiting her impending death. In these final moments, Regina remained determined not to show vulnerability. She was not weak! She would not plead for her life! No, she intended to face death with her dignity intact and chin held high._

 _She could sense the glares of the onlookers gathered in the courtyard of the Royal Castle. The masses had convened in anticipation of the execution of the Evil Queen. Wearing a grey dress comparable to rags and with her dark brown hair tied back; the woman before them was a stark contrast to the tyrant to which they were accustomed._

 _The court remained silent as the archers took their aim. The stoic woman's façade briefly slipped. Showing her first sign of trepidation; she gulped slowly as her bottom lip quivered. Regina braced herself for the inevitable impact as the arrows left their bow. Almost instantaneously, a shout of "STOP!" echoed across the yard. It was a moment too late. Flinching in anticipating of the several projectiles about pierce her chest, Regina gasped in what was sure to be her final breathe._

 _The distinctive swoosh of magic was shortly followed by the sound of metal and wood clattering against cobbles. What was happening? She should be dead! Why stop the execution? Regina's mind reeled, not able to process the turn of events. She let out a breath in relief. She was still alive -for now at least._

 _Upon the removal of her blindfold, the confused brunette took in the scene before her. Snow White, her former stepdaughter and arch-enemy, had gone leaving a crowd of bewildered bystanders in her wake. Amongst which was Snow's beloved Prince Charming, who ordered the Evil Queen back to her cell. Remembering whom and where she was, Regina quickly gained her composure as the guards led her away. Replacing the look of puzzlement with a more appropriate smirk, antagonising the rabble as only she knew how._

 _xxxxxxx_

 _As Regina sat by the desk mulling over the previous day's events, footsteps could be heard approaching. She knew precisely who was visiting her cell. "First, you stop my execution, and then, you defy your Prince to see me. Should I be worried there's trouble in paradise?" She asked Snow White sarcastically, not turning to face the younger woman._

 _"I'm not here to talk about my fiancé," Snow replied._

 _"Then why are you here?" Regina was curious. She was yet to fathom why the infuriating girl before her would put a stop her death._

 _"I know you weren't always like this, Regina. The woman who saved my life all those years ago…had good in her." Regina couldn't help but roll her eyes. Snow White, the eternal optimist, always seeing the good in others; even when there's none left._

 _"That woman lost much. And now she's gone." Because of you, Regina added mentally, because they both knew that it didn't need to be said aloud._

 _"Maybe. But as hard as you've tried to bury her, I think she's still inside you. All you need…" Snow began, before adding softly with a smile. "Is someone to help you let her out." Despite the animosity between them over the years, Snow White could not bring herself to hate the other woman. She despised the acts the Evil Queen committed out of anger and vengeance, but Snow had to hope that redemption was still possible._

 _"So you are just going to let me go freely?" Regina asked with a smirk, knowing very well that it was not an option._

 _Snow reached into her bag- retrieving the items she had brought for her former Stepmother._

 _Regina sat waiting impatiently, unable to decipher what exactly Snow was holding; or planning for that matter."Well...yes'' Regina's eye snapped up as she stared disbelievingly, "…in a way" Snow added after a pause. Regina just raised an eyebrow and settled back in her chair with her arms folded, which Snow took as a sign to continue."I am giving you a choice. Either live out your days in exile; stripped of your ability harm us again. Or travel to another land, one with no magic. You will have a clean slate. A chance to become that kind, caring, loving woman you once were again." Snow beamed with sincerity as she held out the magic bean and compass in her hands._

 _Regina stood and stalked towards the bars of her cell scoffing, "So let me just clarify. I can either choose exile in this land, spending the rest of my days knowing you are getting to live happily ever after with your…Charming." Regina spat out his moniker with venom, adding an eye roll for effect, "Or banishment to land without magic, with nothing but an old compass and a hope speech. What a wonderful choice. I would rather if you had killed me." Regina began deliberating a third option; reaching through the bars and strangling the insipid girl right now. She could deal with the consequences once they arose._

 _Removing the bag she had been carrying over her shoulder, Snow passed it through the bars. "There should be plenty of provisions packed for you, there is enough gold for you to live comfortably for some time, a change of clothes, food and a few other items…" Regina took it in her arms looking on expressionless as Snow continued, "and this compass will guide you to where you need to be. Regina, you can choose to find your happy ending." Snow finished with a nod after handing her the compass, as if that were explanation enough. The small, golden object resembled a locket more than a compass. It had a long gold chain and an embellished case. Inside there was a white face, and a needle that seemingly pointed to no direction in particular. Regina was not an expert, but this compass was evidently broken._

 _"How exactly is this going to help me find anything when it is quite clearly useless? And more to the point, what makes you so sure I am even going to this other realm?" Obviously, she would be going. Given her alternative, the depths of the underworld would be a more favourable option. However, it did not mean she couldn't put up a fight until the last. Snow gave a knowing smile and completely ignored the latter question._

 _"It isn't an ordinary compass it- "Snow considered telling Regina exactly how the compass worked, but figured the stubborn woman would be more reluctant to use it if she did "it is one I managed to procure from a pirate during my time as a bandit. You just have to trust that it will guide you where you need when you need it most. It hasn't failed me yet, and I'm certain it will work for you too." Regina eyed the younger woman and then the object in her hand sceptically before relenting and placing it around her neck._

 _Moving to sit on the small bed, Regina opened the bag on her lap. She could see that indeed there were plenty of supplies for her trip. She took out a plain white shirt and black riding trousers. Quickly, she slipped off her grey dress and changed into the new outfit. Hardly her usual style, but more suitable than the rags she had been wearing. Replacing the shoes on her feet and bag on her shoulder, she was now ready for her journey. Well, as ready as one can be in this situation. Snow gave a small smile, taking this as a positive sign, and continued, "So, if that's everything I shall open the portal and the compass will do the rest."_

 _"Before you do, there's something I have to ask," the older woman started, "after everything that has happened over the years between us, why are you doing this? I have tried to destroy your happiness. I have even tried to kill you and succeeded in killing those you care about. Why are you letting me go?" Regina wouldn't have hesitated to make the other woman suffer given the opportunity. Preventing Snow from getting her happy ending had been her only focus. But here was her arch-enemy handing her a new beginning, a chance to start over._

 _"I'm letting the woman who saved my life go. This is a chance to start fresh, Regina. To leave the evil behind in this cell. For your sake, I really do hope you take it." Without hesitation, the younger woman tossed the magic bean to the cell floor "Goodbye, Regina" not waiting for a response or to see the other woman enter the portal, she turned and headed back down the stairs._

 _The younger royal, therefore, didn't hear the whispered 'thank you' coming from inside the cell._

 _Regina was still cynical, but couldn't help but feel a small glimmer of possibility. Turning towards the whirling green portal which had opened up before her; Regina closed her eyes and stepped forward into the unknown that awaited her._


	2. Chapter 1

_A/N: Thank you for the follows, favourites and reviews so far. Here is chapter 1, I hope you enjoy it._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own anything OUAT related._

* * *

 _…Turning towards the whirling green portal which had opened up before her; taking a deep breath, Regina closed her eyes and stepped forward into the unknown that awaited her._

Following a brief moment of weightlessness, Regina felt solid ground beneath her feet. Her heart sank as she opened her eyes to find herself trapped inside some form of a metal cage. Regina could feel her anger bubbling to the surface as she willed her magic to emerge. But she could no longer sense it; this was definitely a land without magic. Or a cage to be more accurate. She paced around her small enclosure, as her mind reeled.

"I should never have listened to Snow White. How could I have a fallen for that wretched girl's trickery? How could I be so foolish?" Her emotions fluctuated between anger, hurt and disappointment. Resigning herself to her fate, Regina banged a fist against a mirrored wall letting out an exasperated sigh. Suddenly, she felt the cage jerk and begin its slow descent. Eyes wide and slightly panicked, she edged backwards. Heartbeat racing, she steadied herself against the back wall with sweaty palms. After a few seconds had passed, the metal box came to a steady halt. At a loss as to what was occurring, her eyes focussed on the front wall which appeared to be splitting in two. As the crack began to steadily open, she prepared herself for whatever her fate maybe.

She had not anticipated the sight before her; a woman and young boy, who proceeded to step inside with her. The brunette let out the breath that she hadn't realised she was still holding. Regina eyed the pair warily, as she regained a more regal posture.

"Which floor do you need?" The young boy asked. He had a friendly smile on his face as he stared expectantly at Regina. She looked down at him with no idea how to respond. As the brunette opened her mouth about to speak, she was cut off by a loud sound filling the air. Regina turned to the other woman who was now holding a small black box which appeared to be causing the noise.

"Hello… yeah speaking…no problem, I can be there in twenty minutes…okay, see you then" the woman said into the box, before putting it back into the red jacket she wore. The blonde woman then turned around speaking to the boy, "Hey, Kid. I need to go into work. I'll have to drop you off at your soccer practice early."

"It's fine. Alex will be there anyway." The boy grinned back at his mother "Although, I would feel a lot better if ice cream were involved." She laughed before agreeing to take him later. Lost in her thoughts, Regina was unaware that the movement of the metal box had ceased. Once again it opened, and the strangers were now leaving.

The sound of a throat being cleared jarred her back to reality, "This is the ground floor by the way" the boy said, "I just thought I'd let you know in case you wanted to get out." _Get out?_ Yes, she definitely wanted to get out.

"Yes, I would very much. Thank you." Regina smiled appreciatively at the mousy haired boy. "I just arrived here, so things are a little new." She walked after the pair, unaware of where she was heading.

"I'm Henry by the way." The name caught Regina's attention. A pang of sadness hit her as she realised she hadn't had the chance to speak with her father before leaving. She didn't say goodbye to the only person she cared about, or who cared for her. Unaware the boy continued, "Do you live in these apartments too? We just moved in." People lived in places called apartments in this realm apparently; which reminded Regina she would need to find a place to stay. Hopefully, these so called apartments were as spacious as the castle she was accustomed to.

"Hello, Henry. My name is Regina." She replied, bending down to the boys level, "I have not yet had the chance to find a place to live. Perhaps there would be suitable living quarters nearby?"

Henry looking somewhat confused answered, "Well, this is a really nice building. We've lived in few different ones and this is the best." The boy then spoke to his mother who walked a few paces ahead of them "Ma, do you know if there are any apartments to rent in the building? Regina is looking for a place to stay." Regina was amused with the friendly boy who showed no hesitation in speaking with her. It was a novel experience and a surprisingly pleasant one. Children would never have spoken to the Evil Queen with such an open manner in the enchanted forest. Resentment, hatred, cowering, fear, silence - this was how people generally responded to her presence. But she wasn't the Evil Queen here, she could be whoever she wanted.

The blonde woman stopped and turned to face them. She stood with her hands on her hips, legs clad in a tight light blue material and brown boots. Long hair hung in loose curls over her slouched shoulders. "Yeah, maybe. There was one on the eighth fifth floor, but it's only a one bedroom."

"It would only be for myself, so that would be acceptable." She currently had nowhere to rest for the night, so it would have to do.

"The apartments in this area go pretty quick, so it may have been rented out already. Mable Peters owns the place, she lives just down the hall in number 4. You should speak to her if you're interested." Regina nodded and expressed her thanks as they went their separate ways.

"See you around, Regina," Henry said before leaving through a door after his mother.

Maybe this new land wouldn't be as awful as she had feared.

xxxxxxx

Regina walked down the hall as she was directed. She passed several green doors with a large number on the front before arriving at the one marked with a white 4. Not quite sure of the correct protocol in this land, she gave it a gentle knock. The scraping of a chair followed by the shuffle of feet indicated that someone was home. Moments later the door swung open revealing its occupant.

Mable Peters was a small woman with a larger than life personality. A widow in her late eighties, she lived with her two pugs- Fred and Ginger, and Macaw Stuart. "Hello dear, can I help you?" She asked holding a dog under each arm.

"Yes, I am in need of a place to live and was informed that you may have somewhere available, Mrs Peters," Regina responded. The elderly lady warmly welcomed Regina into her home. It was smaller and cosier than the dwellings Regina was familiar with, but very neat nevertheless. Although, the excessive use of floral prints and pastel tones weren't exactly to her taste.

"Please call me Mable. Mrs Peters makes me feel old," the older woman insisted. Regina raised an eyebrow but held back the sarcastic comment on the tip of her tongue. "As a matter of fact, I do have an apartment available. The couple who were due to move in today backed out at the last moment; I had only just finished speaking with them on the phone when you knocked. Please come and take a seat, Dear and I'll go put the kettle on." Regina, who had lingered just past the entrance, sat on the proffered chair at the dining table. One of the dogs nudged her foot with its head, so she leaned down to stroke it. "Ginger doesn't usually like strangers. So you must be a good 'un. I have always said that dog is a wonderful judge of character." Mable said from behind the kitchen counter as she busied herself. _If only she knew,_ Regina thought.

"I have always loved animals. I prefer them to most people." Mable laughed at the comment, although Regina hadn't meant it in jest.

"Are you married, dear. Is there a boyfriend I should be aware of? Or a girlfriend? I know how it is these days. Or will it be just you moving in?" Mable enquired.

Regina didn't appreciate the inane questioning, but she needed a place to live. So, she tried her best to remain polite; clenching her jaw, she responded. "No, it is just me." Getting back to the point, as she didn't come there for idle chit chat. "I would be looking to move in immediately if that is possible."

"Tea, dear?" Regina bluntly declined. She was not a patient woman.

The elderly woman shuffled across the room and sat down opposite her guest; placing a plate of cakes and biscuits on the table between them. "It is a bit short notice, but it shouldn't be a problem. It is fully furnished so it would be ready to move straight into. We'll need to discuss rent of course, and get the tenancy agreement signed. Would you like to view the apartment first?"

"That won't be necessary. I am sure it will be adequate for my needs." Regina opened the bag on her lap and took out the coin purse. She removed several coins and placed them on the table. "This gold should be more enough to cover the expense."

Looking at the pile of large coins the younger woman had produced, Mable frowned a little in confusion."I'm afraid I only accept cash or direct debit, dear. Do you have a card you could use instead?"

Regina had no idea what either of these options was, or why they were necessary. This was an unforeseen setback "I do not. I arrived here today from a foreign land and this is all I have. Would gold not be sufficient payment here?"

Mable gave her sympathetic look and a warm smile "You seem like a nice girl, and Ginger has given her approval." Mable tilted her head to the small dog who had made its way into the younger woman's lap. "So you can stay here until we get something sorted."

Ordinarily, Regina would have become enraged at being referred to as a girl. This woman had no idea who she was talking to. But she was in no position to complain. So as graciously as she could muster she replied, "That is very generous, thank you."

Regina was about to stand to indicate her wish to leave before the landlady spoke up, "I just had an idea!" Mable exclaimed, "My grandson Paulie runs the family jewellery store. He could tell you how much your gold is worth, maybe even buy it from you. I can give him a call him if you'd like? You won't get very far without a few dollars here, Dear." Regina figured it couldn't take long if he was shouting distance away; so she agreed. Although, she grew confused when Mable proceeded to use a small object similar to the blonde woman earlier. This land had some strange customs. She sat silently, smoothing Ginger's shiny coat while Mable talked to her grandson. After a few minutes, Regina was addressed again. "Paulie will pop 'round soon, dear. Now, how about I take you up to see the apartment?"

Apparently the metal cage, which Regina had now learnt was called an elevator, was necessary to reach her chambers. Reluctantly, Regina stepped back into the small space and observed as Mable pressed a button with an 8 engraved into it. Once again the doors slid shut and it jerked back into life. Regina had no explanation other than magic for how this occurred, but of course, that was not a possibility in this land.

"Where are my manners, I haven't even found out your name your name yet? That is old age for you, Dear." Mable said with a laugh. Regina smiled politely, informing the other woman of her name. "I'm surprised a pretty girl like you isn't married," Regina did her best to suppress an eye roll and remained quiet with an insincere smile on her face. "You know my Paulie is a lovely boy…" The ping of the elevator reaching their destination left the rest of the sentence unsaid. "We're here, follow me dear." Regina followed wordlessly until they arrived at a green door with the number 801 emblazoned on the front. Taking out a key, Mable unlocked the door allowing Regina to enter.

Regina looked around her new dwelling in awe. It was nothing like the clashing florals that she had feared; the decor was sleek and open plan living space consisted of a lounge, leading to a kitchen and dining area. The whole room was black and white monotone, with a few splashes of colour from the plants and paintings on the walls. It was perfect.

Mable made her way over to the kitchen. Then she proceeded to point to a number of shiny objects; explaining what the room contained, most of which Regina had never seen or heard of before. "...there's also a laundrette in the basement. Oh yes, I almost forgot. The TV in the lounge was left by the last tenant, so feel free to keep it." The elderly woman pointed at the door on the far side of the room which contained the bathroom. "And the bedroom is through there- you will need to get your own bedding, but you'll have plenty of time before the mall closes. So what do you think, dear?"

Regina hadn't moved from her spot just inside to door, "It is smaller than I am accustomed to, but it will be acceptable." She said with a more genuine smile, "I must admit that I expected more pink and flower prints."

The older women chuckled, "It's not to my taste, but apparently it's what the youngsters prefer." Making her way over to the window, Regina took her first look at her new world. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. Outside were towering buildings as far as the eye could see, interspersed with patches of green and expanses of water. Below her, she could see the busy streets with crowds of bustling people walking in every direction. As well as roads filled with what appeared to be horseless carriages of various colours, which moved of their own accord. Regina was already feeling overwhelmed by it all, and she had yet to leave the building.

xxxxxxx

Emma Swan was just approaching the door to her apartment building when she bumped into a familiar face on his way out. "Hey Paul, Mable didn't mention you were coming over today," She said to the tall, slim man in his mid-twenties. He wore a well-tailored suit and red shirt, with his brown hair perfectly slicked to one side. He smiled warmly at the blonde.

"I wasn't, but I had a phone call from Gran. Her new tenant needed my services." He said with a grin as he puffed out his chest.

"And what would that involve? You aren't really the first person I'd call if I needed a shelf put up, or a pipe had burst." Emma said without malice. Paul pulled a face in mock offence, before laughing.

"Well, according to Gran, she tried to pay her rent with gold or something." He rolled his eyes dramatically, "Anyway, I stepped in and saved the day."

"Who carries gold and no cash these days?" Emma replied, her eyebrows furrowed as she shook her head in disbelief. Paul just shrugged his shoulders in response, "It must be that woman Henry was speaking to earlier. She was looking for a place to live and I mentioned your Grandmother. Thanks again by the way for helping me out with the apartment. I didn't think I would be able to find somewhere this great in my price range." Emma and her twelve-year-old son had spent the past seven months since arriving in New York living in various places, none of which lasted beyond a month. Finding somewhere suitable was difficult on her budget. Fortunately, just as she was losing hope, she had a chance encounter with Paul.

Emma had grown up in the foster system. She had been shuttled between foster homes and group homes around the country, never staying anywhere for long. She had met Paul at a foster home when she was twelve and he was eight. After six months together Paul was adopted by the Peters', a couple from New York who had no children of their own. Emma wasn't as fortunate. She didn't escape the system until she ran away aged sixteen; where a life of petty crime, thievery, prison and teenage pregnancy awaited her.

"It was nothing- I only put you in touch with Gran. You know the old girl has a thing for taking in strays." He joked for which he received a playful punch in the left bicep. "Speaking of, Gran's trying to set me up with this new lady. When is she going to take the hint?"

"Seriously?" Emma laughed, "You know she tried it with me when I met her?" mimicking Mable she continued, "So _are you married, dear? Is Henry's father on the scene? I would love a great-grandchild. If only Paul settled down and found himself a wife._ When are you just going to tell her you're gay?"

Paul rolled his eyes and huffed, "I have tried, but she thinks I just need to meet the right woman. I love her, but she can be hard work sometimes." Quickly changing the subject he asked, "Where's Henry by the way?"

"He plays Soccer on Saturday mornings. I had to drop him off to go into work for a while, then he text me to say he was going over a friend's house after the game. You want to come in? It'll be a while before I need to pick him up." Emma and Henry had only moved into the apartment the day before. They had very few possessions, so it hadn't taken them long to get settled in; the fire at their Boston apartment had destroyed almost everything they owned. On the bright side, it meant that moving from Boston to New York had been relatively straightforward.

"I had to leave Sheila in charge, so I better get going. We still on for drinks tonight?"

"Yeah, as long as Mable still doesn't mind looking after Henry."

"Are you kidding? She loves the kid. I'll see you later, Ems" Paul gave Emma a quick hug as they went their separate ways.

* * *

 _Additional A/N: update 31.1.16- I've made a small change in this chapter, it is now 7 months not 6 that Emma and Henry have lived in NY. It doesn't make a great deal of difference, but it was an oversight on my part._


	3. Chapter 2

See End of chapter for A/N

* * *

Emma sat in her car outside her apartment building while she sent a text to her son. The sound of a gentle tap on the passenger window caught her attention. Leaning over the seat, she opened the door.

"Hello, I have been informed that you may be of assistance to me." The brunette she'd met earlier bent down and spoke to her through the open door. Emma had no idea who had told her she would be any help, or what the woman may need.

"Okay, how can I help?" Emma queried with some confusion. Perhaps this woman needed to find someone, Emma thought. As a bail bonds person, finding people was what she did.

"I am in need of a number of supplies from a _Mall_ " the brunette began with some uncertainty. "I was told that if I found a yellow _car_ , it would escort me there." Emma Swan wasn't always the most trusting person, so she eyed the stranger sceptically. She could detect that there as something different about this woman, but couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. After studying the other woman for a moment and sensing no hint of a lie, she decided to offer her help.

"I think you're looking for a taxi, but I'm heading out anyway so I can give you a ride." Emma gestured for the other woman to get into the passenger seat, "You can get in." The brunette seemed a bit unsure as she hesitated, before getting inside the car and shutting the door. "I'll need to pick up my son first. I'll drop you there on the way back home if that's alright with you."

"That's fine" was the reply as Emma started the engine. She grabbed her seatbelt, putting it in place; indicating for the other woman to do the same. The brunette stared at Emma through questioning eyes before fastening her own with some difficulty. Pulling off from the parking spot, Emma heard a sharp intake of breath. Turing to her passenger, she observed wide eyes and clenched fists.

"Not good with these busy streets, huh?" Emma asked the obviously anxious woman. "I get it. I don't really like driving in the city." Emma beeped her horn a few times at the car which cut her up, "Asshole" she mumbled under her breathe.

The brunette hummed noncommittally. Clearly she wasn't listening to Emma during her moment of panic. "What is this- this metal deathtrap?"

"Whoah, Lady. We don't talk about the bug like that. This baby has been good to me," Emma said, only somewhat jokingly, as she stroked the dashboard of her trusty yellow beetle. "It's like my second child."

The pair sat in silence for a few minutes. The nervous passenger's anxiety noticeably started to ease as she stared out of the car window with fascination. Emma drove a few blocks before getting caught in traffic. Deciding she ought to properly introduce herself to her new neighbour; Emma cleared her throat and spoke, "It's Emma by the way. Emma Swan." Met by silence, she continued as she turned to look at the brunette, " I, uh, I don't think I introduced myself earlier. It's Regina right?"

"That's correct, Miss Swan" Regina replied before turning back to look at the street outside. Emma decided that trying to continue a conversation was pointless; opting to switch the radio on instead.

xxxxxxx

Ten minutes later the car came to a stop. Regina's first time in a car was quite the unusual experience. Once the initial trepidation was over, it was actually rather exhilarating. Watching the world whizz by had brought back a sense of childlike wonderment that she hadn't felt in a long time.

Henry jumped happily into the back seat of the car and greeted both women in the front. Regina acknowledged the young boy and sat quietly, observing the exchange between Mother and son.

"Hey kid, have a good game?" Emma said looking at her son before once again putting the car into motion.

"Yeah, we won two nil. That's my third clean sheet in a row." Henry beamed, proud of his goalkeeping record. He hadn't played any sport before arriving in New York but, recently signed up for Soccer practice where he discovered a natural talent in goal.

"Good job, Kid. We'll get ice-cream to celebrate." Emma smiled back at her son, "I'm dropping Regina off at the mall anyway, so we'll go to Scarlet's."

"Awesome, but…" Henry said with a mischievous smirk, "technically you owe me an ice-cream anyway. So, I probably should get two scoops." Emma rolled her eyes but conceded to the child's superior logic. "You wanna get ice-cream with us, Regina?" He asked the mute passenger.

Startled by the offer and inclusion in the conversation, Regina didn't answer right away. Instead, she stared, slightly shocked, between mother and son. Emma interpreted the lack of response as the other woman not knowing how to politely turn down her son's offer. Intervening, she replied to Henry, "I'm sure Regina will be too busy, Henry. She has other things she needs to do." To which Regina nodded, taking her cue to answer.

"Yes, I have a number of items to purchase. But thank you for your kind offer, Henry" she gave the boy a small smile in return. She was genuinely touched by the thoughtfulness; kindness was not something she was accustomed to in her old land. Regina had only been in this new world a matter of hours and yet, she had received more goodwill than she could remember in her lifetime.

xxxxxxx

A short while later, they arrived at their destination. Mother and son chatted animatedly about their day and plans for the evening as they made their way through the main entrance. Regina followed soundlessly attempting to take in her surroundings; it was another completely alien experience for her.

Regina was mesmerised by the rows of storefronts showcasing their wares. The clothing on display was so different to that she was familiar with; it was much simpler in style than the lavish gowns she had worn as a monarch, but in its own way, just as exquisite. As they walked further on, she passed food stalls with delicious aromas and mouth-wateringly tempting produce. It was a startling contrast between this well illuminated, indoor mall and the dire marketplace of the enchanted forest; there wasn't an apothecary or blacksmith in sight.

"…department store over there. Just ask for help from one of the staff if you can't find something. We'll be in Scarlet's Diner opposite if you need us." Regina focused on the blonde that she hadn't initially realised was speaking. She then looked at the store to which the other woman referred; it appeared to be one of the largest in the building.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. I appreciate all your help." Regina responded once she regained her composure. This whole experience was proving to be rather daunting. Emma nodded in acknowledgement before turning to leave. Henry waved goodbye to Regina as he made his way into the diner behind his mother. Regina turned towards to store she was about to enter; raking her eyes up and down the three storey building. She let out a breath as she gathered herself, she was a Queen. She didn't get intimidated by things as trivial as purchasing objects. Striding purposefully, Regina entered the store and instantly stopped when she took in the vast array of items it contained. There were large crowds wandering around the never ending store, placing a variety of items into the baskets they held. How would she ever be able to find what she need in here? About to turn and leave, Regina heard a deep voice address her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, is there anything I can help you with?" A young man, no older than his early twenties, and wearing a shirt and tie spoke to Regina.

"Yes, there is. I am in need of clothing and items for my new apartment, and I have no idea how to find them in this place." Regina responded grateful of the assistance but maintaining her abrupt, regal front.

"That's no problem. We offer a personal shopper service at our store. Would that be something you'd be interested in?" The young man replied to a relieved Regina.

"What exactly would this entail?"

"One of our specialist staff will find out what you require and bring some options to show you; it's then up to you whether or not you wish to purchase them," the store worker explained. "I can request for someone to come down and see you if you'd like, Ma'am," Regina responded in the affirmative. He then proceeded to speak into a black device; requesting a personal shopper at the front of the store. "If you wait in these seats here, April will be down shortly to assist you." The store assistant showed Regina to the waiting area, "Have a good day, Ma'am" and he departed with a warm smile.

xxxxxxx

Three hours later, Regina arrived back at her apartment building laden with bags. Her first time shopping in her new land had been wonderful- she may even be inclined to say fun. She had purchased a number of the outfits that had been recommended to her by April, all of which Regina loved. She also managed to buy several other necessities she had been told she would require in this realm. As Regina passed through the food court, she couldn't resist buying a few delicious looking pastries too; the apple turnovers, as they were labelled, were particularly appealing. It had amazed Regina how much she was able to buy with the paper money, or dollars as she had later been informed, she had received for some of her gold. She had decided to arrange another appointment the following week with April, as she would certainly be requiring more clothing than she currently had.

Regina entered her bedroom and placed the heavy load she had been carrying on the floor- before she could do anything else there was something she had to do. Something she had not yet done in this land. She entered the pristine, white bathroom and studied the variety of porcelain apparatuses within it. She turned taps, pushed buttons and gasped in astonishment at readily available, free flowing hot and cold water. Regina wondered when the marvels of this world would cease to amaze her.

After stowing away her new purchases and making the bed, Regina sat down at the dining table and inspected the contents of the bag she had travelled with. She unwrapped the food she'd been given and ate it ravenously. It had been a long day! Once she had finished her small meal and cleared up, Regina took out the leather-bound book, quill and ink. It was fortunate that she'd had the foresight to write down the location of her current accommodation, or she would never have found her way back, this time in an actual taxi. As she began making some notes on her day so far, remembering to include her next appointment with the personal shopper, there was a knock at the door.

Regina had no idea who would be visiting her, perhaps it was Mrs Peters needing her to sign more contracts. As the knocking continued, she got up and cautiously made her way to unlatch the door. Upon opening it, she discovered a beaming smile and friendly eyes looking up at her.

"Hi, I've brought this for you," Henry said as he handed over a small piece of paper, "I know it's a bit short notice, but I still wanted to ask." Regina looked down at the paper quizzically; it was a colourful handmade note which read:

 _You are invited to the surprise 30th birthday party of Emma Swan !_

 _It will be at our apartment on October 23rd at 8 pm._

 _From Henry_

 _P.S. Remember- Do not to tell her !_

As Regina read the note, the boy babbled in the background, "It's only going to be Me, Ma, Mable and her Grandson Paul. We don't really know many people here- Ma doesn't have work friends or anything. I mean, there is that one guy who she's been on a couple of dates with. But I think she thinks I don't know about him." He looked at Regina expectantly as she finished reading the invitation. When she didn't offer a response he continued "Anyway, it starts in fifteen minutes; Paul has taken her out for a drink while we set up. So are you coming?" Regina's immediate reaction would ordinarily have been an outright refusal; probably with a condescending remark and a sneer. She generally had no interest in something so frivolous. But as she looked down at Henry, who had such hope in his eyes, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I - I- don't have anything to bring." Regina offered as an excuse, trying to let the boy down gently, "I wouldn't want to show up empty-handed." Henry dismissed this with absolute certainty.

"You've only just met us so it's not like she'd expect a present or anything. She'd just be happy you came."

"I don't have enough time to get ready, and probably nothing suitable to wear."

"It's nothing fancy, you look nice as you are." Regina couldn't help the smile that broke out. She could already tell that none of her excuses would work with the sweet, stubborn young boy. She could just shut the door and put an end to the conversation, but instead she conceded; something she was not accustomed to.

"In that case, I will attend. Thank you for your invitation." Henry let out a whoop as he punched the air, to which Regina couldn't hold back her amusement as she let out a laugh, "I shall see you soon, Henry."

"See ya," Henry said as he turned to leave. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot. We are in 311 on the third floor."

Regina watched as he left down the hall before shutting the door. This day was just full of surprises.

xxxxxxx

Celebrating her birthday wasn't something Emma did, ever. She didn't get birthday parties growing up and she rarely received birthday presents. So to her, turning thirty would be a non-event. Tonight she had gone out for drinks with Paul; however, that was just a coincidence because he had no idea that today was her birthday, let alone her thirtieth. A few beers and an hour later, Paul received a call from his Grandmother.

"Hello Gran, everything alright?…Yeah…huh-uh…sure…okay, we'll be there soon" Emma could feel herself starting to panic, she knew she shouldn't have left Henry.

"What's the matter? Is it Henry? What's happened?" Emma said in a rush, already putting her coat on to leave.

"Calm down, Henry's fine." Emma breathed a sigh of relief, although she still felt unsettled, "The electric's gone out in your apartment and they can't find a torch to check the fuse box. So they need us to go back."

"Oh, that's all. You had me worried there for a sec." Emma let out a few more relieved breaths "We'd better head back then. I've got a few beers in, so we'll have a drink there instead."

The pair arrived outside Emma's door ten minutes later. Emma opened it to find the room in complete darkness,"Hey, guys, we're back." Within an instant, the lights came on and shouts of "Surprise" and "Happy birthday" could be heard. Emma was in shock, no-one had ever done anything like this for her before. She could feel her eyes welling up with emotion as her son came barrelling into her.

"Happy Birthday, Ma," Henry said as he gave her a hug. "Were you surprised? Nobody told you, did they? What do you think?" He asked excitedly, pulling away to gesture to the area around him. There were balloons and banners hung around the room, and the dining table contained a chocolate birthday cake and a stack of pizza boxes.

"It's perfect. Thanks, Kid," Emma said with a watery smile. It really was. It was the best birthday Emma could have asked for.

"Time for the candles," Mable said as she began lighting them on the cake, "Happy Birthday…" She started as the other two joined in for the rest of the song.

"…hooray!" As the song finished, Emma went to blow out the candles, but not before Henry chipped in with a reminder. "Don't forget to make a wish, Ma."

"Okay…let me think for a sec." What could she even wish for? In this moment she was happy, she had everything she needed. She had her son who was healthy and happy. She had people in her life that cared about her enough to help throw her a surprise party. She had a lovely home and a good job. She couldn't ask for more. This was all she could hope for; to be with the people she cared about and not to have to spend a birthday alone again. Emma closed her eyes and blew.

A moment later there was a knock at the door, she looked at the clock on the wall- 8.15pm. Who would be visiting now? Emma couldn't think of anyone else Henry would have invited. Maybe he'd asked over one of his friends from soccer? She walked across the room and opened the door.

xxxxxxx

"Sorry I'm late," Regina said after a few seconds of awkward silence. "This is for you, Miss Swan," the brunette added, handing over the gift she'd brought.

Regina had decided that she couldn't turn up to a celebration with nothing to offer; it wasn't proper etiquette. The surprised blonde took the white box in her hands. She looked down at it, then back at Regina before saying,"uh…thanks. Come in."

In the enchanted forest, the Evil Queen commanded attention when she entered a room. She walked with confidence, with purpose and at ease. She would stride into a banquet hall filled with hundreds of nobles, and all eyes would fall upon her. But right now, in this small living room with four relative strangers, Regina had never felt more exposed. She stood a few footsteps in from the entrance, not quite sure what to do with herself. Her discomfort didn't last for long as she was welcomed warmly by everyone present. She smiled cordially and greeted them in return, making polite conversation.

"Regina, you made it in time for cake" an enthusiastic Henry exclaimed as he dragged her by the hand towards the dining table. A day ago, if anyone had dared drag her anywhere, she would have burnt their hand without a second thought. Now, somehow, this all felt right.

A couple of short conversations, cake and something called _Pizza_ later, Regina sat down with a drink in hand. "Thank you for the gift, there was really no need" Regina heard from over her left shoulder, as she sat sipping the remnants of her wine. Turning around, she came face to face with Emma.

"It's not much, but I only found out that it was your birthday shortly before I arrived when Henry showed up at my door."

Emma laughed and sat clumsily next to Regina on the sofa, "Well me and my sweet tooth appreciate it. It's a well-known fact that the way to my heart is definitely through my stomach." Emma said patting her front with a grin. Regina had begrudgingly given one of the apple turnovers she had purchased that day as a small present.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Regina replied feeling surprisingly pleased that her gesture had been well received.

"Can I get you anything?" Emma asked looking down at Regina's now empty glass, "There's beer or wine, and I probably have a bottle of Jack Daniels somewhere too."

Regina daren't ask who this 'Jack Daniels' was, or why they felt the need to bottle him. Whatever it was, she certainly wasn't going to drink it."You wouldn't happen to have any apple cider would you?" Regina inquired, she had a fondness for anything which included apples.

"Umm…I'm not sure. I'll go and check," Emma leapt up of her seat and rummaged around the kitchen cupboards before returning empty handed. "Nope, but I'll get some in for next time."

"Next time?" Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I mean, in case you come over again," Emma said with a sheepish grin.

"Oh I see" was all Regina could say in response. She was not used to receiving return invites; one encounter with the Evil queen was usually more than enough for most people.

"You look really nice by the way. Not that you didn't before- that's not what I meant. It's just with the dress and the makeup and your hair down and stuff…" Emma gestured with her hand up and down Regina's body. "I'm gonna shut up now," She added to herself, then gulped down her beer.

Regina smirked at the babbling woman. She had decided to change her outfit despite Henry's insistence that there was no need to do so. If Regina was going to an event, she was certainly going to dress for it no matter which land she was in. She had opted to wear a figure-hugging, sleeveless black dress. She may not be the Evil Queen in this land, but black was still her colour. The dress finished just above the knee and showed the right amount of cleavage. She paired it with black heeled shoes which were ridiculously uncomfortable, but she chose to wear them regardless. It was very unlike the dresses she would have worn in the enchanted forest, but Regina loved it anyway.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. You look lovely yourself," The blonde was blushing slightly either due to the embarrassment of her earlier rambling or at the compliment she received; Regina couldn't quite tell. It was true, the blonde did look good in the red dress and heels she wore. She looked very different to the woman Regina had first met in the elevator that morning.

Their brief conversation was interrupted by a flash of light which caught Regina's attention. Looking around to see the source, the brunette found a smirking Henry holding a small silver object which lit up for the second time.

"Smile" he exclaimed, then a moment later it flashed again. He looked at the device and furrowed his brow, "Ma, Regina, you weren't smiling. I need the photos to put in the present I got you." Henry had bought his Mother an album for her birthday and filled it with photographs of their time together in New York. Unfortunately, the fire had destroyed all the albums and photos from their Boston apartment, but they still had the memories.

Fine, but delete the other ones." Emma said as she leaned in closer to Regina's side; placing her arm across Regina's back and hand around her waist. Regina froze, she was not used to being in such close proximity to another person. Generally, the closest she got someone involved delivering scathing insults or ripping out hearts; quite often both at the same time. This was different; it felt more intimate. Confused, Regina turned to look at the smiling woman next to her. Flash. Emma turned to face Regina still smiling,"He will just keep taking them until he gets the one he wants." She tilted her head to a still frowning Henry, "Just smile for him and he'll leave you alone. Well, for now at least." Regina was still unsure of exactly what was happening, but she smiled at the other women regardless. They looked at each other for a moment -flash- before Regina turned around to face Henry. Flash.

"Ma, you aren't looking this time. This isn't that difficult, you know." Once more the small device let out it's bright light. At last, the boy looked satisfied. "Okay, now I just need one with everyone in it. Can everyone get on the sofa while I set the timer?"

Three failed group shots later, a pleased Henry finally allowed everyone the get back to their conversations. A tired Regina decided to take this as her opportunity to leave. Bidding farewell to everyone, she departed the Swan residence and made her way back to her own apartment. It had been a long and exhausting day, and she really needed to rest. Upon landing in her bed, Regina fell into a deep and restful sleep where she dreamt of her first day in her new home.

* * *

A/N: Once again thank you for the reviews and follows, I really appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and Regina's first day in her new world. I'm about to start writing the next chapter, which I think could be a fun one. So, I look forward to sharing it!


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Here's the new chapter. I hope you enjoy. Thanks again to everyone who's read so far. Especially those who have followed, favorited and left reviews.

* * *

In the week following her arrival in New York, Regina had barely found the time to leave her apartment building. Her first day had been so busy and overwhelming, she hadn't realised just how much there was to explore in her new home. She spent the week getting aquatinted with this land's modern conveniences; the ability to light and darken the room in an instant had occupied a good ten or fifteen minutes of one evening.

She had decided on her second day that a more thorough exploration of the bathroom was necessary. This was where she learnt the hard way how the shower worked; she had accidently turned it on whilst she stood under the shower head fully clothed. In that moment, if she'd still had her magic, it would have been blown into a million tiny pieces. Once her initial surge of anger had ebbed away, she had become quite fond of the object. Although, the luxury of being able to bathe in a bathtub where you could instantly run hot water didn't fail to impress the brunette.

Even more fascinating had been her first encounter with the television. She had completely ignored the large black object in the corner of her living room until Henry had shown her it in action. Regina had gone food shopping to replenish her empty food store earlier that week. As she was struggling home with several bags and a large box from the supermarket, Henry spotted her. The friendly boy was on his way home from school and had offered to assist with her bags.

Regina put the produce away in her cupboards and large cooling device (a refrigerator she thought she overheard someone call it, but she could have been mistaken) and Henry sat on the sofa. He grabbed a black rectangular object on the side table then, as he pushed one of the buttons, the screen came to life. The moving images changed rapidly as the boy pressed the device in his hand- Regina watched on agog.

"This TV's way bigger than ours," he had excitedly informed Regina, who hadn't moved from her spot behind the kitchen counter. "Oh my God, you've got a blu-ray player too. I'm totally coming up here to watch the new Spider-Man film when I get it." He then began looking through the stack of thin boxes Regina hadn't paid much attention to that were left in the corner of the room. She'd had no idea what they were, so she joined Henry where he proceeded to show her how the TV and its components worked. She had tried her best to absorb all the information, but he spoke so quickly, and with so many foreign words- most of it had gone straight over her head.

Since that day Henry had been to visit Regina on a further two occasions, each time bringing a different movie for them to watch. So when Regina heard someone at her door that morning, she had expected it to be Henry visiting her again. She was surprised, however when she opened it to see another familiar face. "Mr Peters, I didn't realise you were coming here today - please come in." Regina supposed she must have forgotten having arranged a meeting with the man during their initial encounter. It was understandable, a lot had happened on her first day in New York.

"I thought I'd pop by and see how you were settling in," Paul responded, making himself comfortable on the sofa. To say Regina was stunned was an understatement, she wasn't accustomed to social visits. Her interactions with the younger man had been courteous enough, and she was very grateful for the help he had given her when she arrived. During their first encounter, Paul had very generously purchased Regina's gold from her in exchange for cash. He then arranged a payment to his grandmother for six months rent in exchange for four coins; Regina could very well be homeless at this moment without the man lounged casually across her furniture.

"Well, in that case, can I get you anything? A drink perhaps?" Regina could be sociable; it was her alter ego who was lacking in social etiquette. During the past week, she had taken the time to contemplate on the opportunity she had been awarded by coming to this new land, she had decided to embrace the chance of a fresh start.

She watched in disdain as Paul kicked off his shoes and put is feet on the sofa. "I'll take a Coffee if you have some."

"Mr Peters, you would do well to remove your feet from my furniture before you'll no longer have a need to purchase any more of those filthy shoes." Maybe some habits would take longer to break.

Laughing Paul placed his feet firmly back on the wooden floor, "I like you, Regina, you're feisty. I was concerned that you were going to be another boring, middle-class lady. But I think we'll get along just fine. So, how about that coffee?"

Regina smirked with her arms folded across her chest. _If only he knew who he was dealing with_ , she thought to herself. "I do have some, but I am yet to figure out how the contraption to make it works. So please feel free to help yourself." Regina had bought the machine and discs of coffee earlier that week during her adventure to the Supermarket. It was on a limited time special offer according to the lady at the front of the store, so Regina felt obliged to make the purchase despite having no idea what it was. What if it had been an essential to living in this land and she had passed up the opportunity of the 'once in a lifetime deal'? She was no fool, it had been an easy decision to make.

Paul got up and made his way to the kitchen counter, "Where do you keep your mugs?" He queried as he tore apart the packet of coffee and placed a disc in the machine. Regina opened a cupboard and handed him one, "You want a coffee, Regina?" She decided that she might as well try it, she had made the essential purchase after all. So she agreed and handed him another mug. "You take it black or with milk?"

Regina had no idea, "What would you recommend?"

"Well, I have mine with a shitload of milk and six sugars, but that's because I don't like the taste of coffee." Regina failed to see his logic, why would he even drink it if that were the case? "Maybe try it black first, see what you think. You can always add milk."

As they sat at the dining table with their drinks, Paul decided to let Regina in on the real reason for his impromptu visit. "So, did you have a nice time at Emma's birthday? It was a good night, right?" Paul asked the brunette who was sipping her coffee, trying to adapt to the new taste.

"It was pleasant enough, I suppose," Regina replied. She wasn't the sort of person who gushes about such inconsequential things.

"I love the enthusiasm, Regina," Paul retorted sarcastically with an eye roll. "As you had such a wonderful time with us that night, I thought I'd invite you along to a Halloween party at a friend's bar. It'll be fun, and I already have our costumes planned out." Halloween was not a tradition celebrated in the Enchanted forest, but from Regina's observations so far, it seemed to be quite a big occasion in this land. From her understanding, it involved dressing up as a supernatural creature; an odd custom in her opinion. "So, you wanna come with?"

"Not particularly, Mr Peters," Regina replied bluntly. The idea of dressing up in a ridiculous and unflattering costume was bad enough, but doing so in front of a group of strangers, that she had no interest in knowing, was unacceptable. "It's not really my idea of fun."

"Come on, Regina. Henry really wants you to be there." Paul pleaded to a resolute Regina.

"If that's the case then why isn't he here asking?" Regina queried. Not that it mattered; it wasn't as if the boy had any sway over her decision making.

"Because I thought my charm, wit and good looks would be enough to convince you," he grinned. "But I can do the puppy dog eyes thing too if that's what it takes." The young man attempted to replicate Henry's hopeful eyes which had worked so easily on her previously. Paul didn't have quite the same outcome.

"That's certainly not going to work on me, Mr Peters" Regina sneered as she got up to pour out the remainder of the coffee from her mug; next time she would try it with milk. Paul got up from his own chair and followed her to the kitchen, helping himself to a red apple which sat in a fruit bowl.

"Fine, well Henry is currently preoccupied with trying to persuade his mother to come so you are stuck with me I'm afraid," he said before taking a bite of the fruit. "I thought you'd have been the easier one to convince."

"It would appear that you were mistaken."

"Believe me, I've only just started."

xxxxxxx

"Are you trying to blackmail me into attending your party, Mr Peters," Regina asked aghast at the depths to which the man sat next to her was willing to sink to get what he desired. Although, the smirk that accompanied his comment made her question the degree of malice with which it was made.

"Bribe, blackmail; call it what you will. But the truth of the matter is that you owe me, Regina," he replied nonchalantly. Regina mulled over what Paul had said. Indeed, he needn't have been so generous with her when she had first arrived, and he was in no way obliged to help her in future. Inevitably, she came to the conclusion that she did owe him, and now she felt obligated to repay.

"Why is this so important to you?" She questioned, there was undeniably a reason this man was so adamant on her attendance.

"I have a vision, Regina. An amazing, spectacular vision and without your participation it would all be ruined." He said with conviction and dramatic arm movements; the brunette could see straight through his act. Regina raised a sceptical brow, prompting the truthful response from the man. "Also, my ex will be there with the guy he left me for, and I'll need all the moral support I can get." He quickly mumbled only just loud enough to hear.

"Fine, if Henry can persuade Miss Swan to attend then so will I." Regina relented to a now beaming Paul, who looked on the verge of engulfing her in his arms. She continued speaking before any actual bodily contact could be made. "Now, are you planning on informing me about these wonderful costume ideas of yours?"

xxxxxxx

A little while later in their third-floor apartment, Henry and Emma were also discussing the Halloween party.

"No way. It's not happening, Henry," Emma said adamantly to her son. The boy had been trying his best all morning to convince her to attend Paul's party, but it was to no avail. "Wearing that dress in public would be bad enough, but then you add in the wig. Nope. Nuh-huh. Never gonna happen."

"Come on, Ma. Paul said even Regina's going."

"Oh…right…I suppose it's not that bad. I'll go try it on then."

xxxxxxx

Two days later, it was Halloween. As it transpired, the party Paul had attended for the past several years always had a dress code. Last year's theme was the Rocky Horror Picture Show, to which Paul obviously went as Frank. This year was Twisted Tales- dress as your favourite fairytale characters with a scary spin. Paul had originally decided upon a Little Dead Riding Hood theme for the group, with zombies and even a gender swap. He thought it was a rather genius idea. Henry would be a male Red, who had been ravaged by the wolf. Emma could have been the wolf, Mable as Granny and himself as the hunky huntsman. However when Regina had shown up, Paul had felt compelled to include her in the group. So he came up with an alternative.

xxxxxxx

"Henry, have you seen where the rest of the fake blood is. I feel like I need some dripping from my nose. What do you think?" Emma asked her son has she stood in the doorway of his bedroom. As he got up from his desk, Emma burst into a fit of laughter. It was the first time she'd seen him in his costume.

"What's so funny?" He asked incredulously. Emma bit her lip as she tried to keep it together.

"The beard just caught me off guard for a second, I'm good now," she replied, failing to keep a straight face. "So, which Dwarf are you meant to be again?"

"Ma, how many times do I have to explain this- I'm Deadly, Dopey's evil twin," Henry huffed as he answered. "I went around using my pickaxe on people's skulls before I was captured and locked deep in the mines. Now I've escaped my prison and I'm seeking revenge on the dwarves that put me there." He stated with exasperation as if it were obvious.

"I can see you've thought it through; got a whole backstory and everything," Emma said trying her best to remain serious. "I just don't understand why you'd have a beard if you are Dopey's twin."

"It helps me get into character" was the response. A knock indicated the others arrival, so Emma left her son to finish dousing his whole outfit with fake blood while she answered the door.

"We're almost ready," Emma told Paul and Mable who came in and sat down on the sofa. "Mable, aren't you dressing up?" Emma asked the woman who had come dressed as an old hag. She wore a tatty black cloak and had tangled her usually immaculate curls. She'd applied warts to her chin and wore a fake pointy nose to complete the look. Mable tutted and shook her at the younger woman's joke. Paul, on the other hand, gave Emma a fist bump.

"Yes, yes very funny, dear. Now where's that son of yours? I want to see him in his little outfit." The older woman said. Emma guessed Henry hadn't yet informed Mable of his costume choice beyond the fact he was a dwarf. She told the older woman that he was in his room- prompting Mable to go see him. Emma grabbed the tequila and two shot glasses and made her way over to Paul. "I thought you were supposed to be the Huntsman?" Emma asked as she plopped down next to him on the sofa; handing him his first shot.

"I am. Look, I'm wearing flannel, Ems" was Paul's reply as he gestured to the sleeveless shirt he wore.

"Oh I see, and what sort of huntsman wears Denim cutoffs?" Emma asked with mirth.

"One who wants his ex to see exactly what he's missing out on," Paul grinned giving Emma a wink.

"I literally have no words," Emma laughed before downing her own shot. "Okay, serious question - yes or no on fake blood coming from my nose?"

xxxxxxx

Regina had fortunately already arranged her appointment with April, the personal shopper, for the day Paul came over. April had been more than willing to assist Regina with finding the perfect attire for her Halloween costume. If only Paul had led with his inspired concept, Regina would have put up much less resistance.

Finding out that the lives of people back in the enchanted forest were known in this land had come as a surprise to Regina. So when Paul informed her that his idea was based on the story of Snow White, she had been stunned into silence. When he further elaborated on his concept, she warmed up much more to the premise.

Regina decided to make sure she was aware of how the tale of her and Snow White had been interpreted in this land. So she asked April to find her the story, she came back with three different films based on the tale. Regina knew from her time with Henry that in this land, stories were often told in this form. The rest of that day was spent watching the three movies back to back; none of which were an accurate depiction of the true events. They were all completely biased toward Snow White, which Regina couldn't be too shocked about. Snow White's side of the story was the only one anyone had ever been interested in.

As she approached the door to apartment 311, Regina had a flash of panic. She hadn't truly realized until this moment, exactly what was happening. For the last two days, the whole thing was still an abstract concept. Yet here she was, wearing an outfit so similar to those she had worn in her old world. Attending a celebration with people dressed as, what to them were fairytale characters, but to Regina were part of her past. The brunette was somewhat concerned with how she may react; she was known to be prone to impulsive and irrational outbursts. Regina took a moment to ground herself. She just needed to remember that it wasn't the people of the Enchanted forest on the other side of that door. They were people who didn't think of her as anything other than their new neighbour. She could go in there and remain calm- Regina reinforced mentally. Letting out a shaky breath she knocked on the door.

"Regina darling, come in. You want a drink?" was Paul's warm welcome as he answered the door in a pair of tiny shorts and a red and black checked vest that lay open exposing his chest. She didn't know why she thought for a split second she could get confused in any way between the people of this land and those of her old world.

Regina followed Paul into the kitchen taking the drink offered to her, "Damn Regina, you look smoking hot" he said as he took in her outfit. Regina smirked, she knew only too well how to dress as the Evil Queen. She had opted to for an entirely black ensemble of skintight leather pants, corset, fitted jacket and heeled knee high boots. Her long hair was in a high ponytail on top of her head and cascaded over her right shoulder. The look was complete with heavy eye makeup and dark red lipstick. Just as she was bringing her drink to her lips she heard a voice from behind her.

"Paul, did I hear someone at the… Holy frigging shit!"

xxxxxxx

Emma stood staring slack-jawed at the new occupant of her kitchen. She was a vision in black leather. Emma gulped, attempting to regain her composure before speaking again, "I - uh- sorry you just don't look like any Evil Queens I've ever seen."

The brunette smirked as she stalked over to Emma, who gulped again; biting her lower lip. Regina stopped in front of the other woman. "And you, Miss Swan, are most certainly the best version of Snow White I've ever seen." Emma stood motionless as the other woman slowly lowered her gaze over her body and then back up to her face, "Although a little extra blood wouldn't hurt."

"I knew it" Emma grumbled to herself. Emma was dressed as a zombie version of Snow White. In homage to the Disney classic, she wore a torn blue, yellow and red mini dress and knee high white socks with red shoes. The dress was smeared with fake blood and she sported a realistic looking wound where her 'heart had been ripped from her chest'. She had pale makeup on her face, and a messy black wig with a skewed red bow on her head.

"Hi Regina, you look awesome," said a jovial Henry as he entered the living area.

"Hello Henry, and may I ask who you are supposed to be?"

"Deadly- Dopey's Evil twin" the boy responded as he swung his plastic axe.

"Ah yes, the pick-axe wielding murderer. I know him well." Regina quipped with a malicious smile.

"Since when is that a thing?" Emma was baffled, was she the only person who didn't know this version of the fairytale.

"Educated guess, Miss Swan." The brunette whispered into Emma's ear causing a shiver to run down her spine. "The name and axe were a bit of a giveaway."

"Right…yeah… of course" Emma spluttered out, why was she suddenly a bumbling idiot? Maybe she shouldn't have had those tequila shots with Paul.

xxxxxxx

Four hours later and all the children and some other guests had left the party, including Henry and Mable. However, it was still full of many increasingly alcohol-fuelled adults in their various Halloween garb. The bar had been decorated to replicate a gothic fairytale setting and its staff were dressed to match. Regina, Emma and Paul sat in a small booth in the corner drinking an excessive amount of alcohol.

"Where is this ex of yours so I can go kick his ass?" An inebriated Emma slurred to her friend, she'd had a few too many Halloween themed drinks. At some point that night she had lost her wig, so her blonde hair was now hanging loosely around her shoulders.

"He didn't even show up," an equally drunken Paul replied with a pout. "And I froze my nipples off in this outfit for him."

"Are you telling me you forced me out this evening for no good reason, Mr Peters?" A discernibly less intoxicated Regina retorted, still looking impeccable. Regina didn't make a habit of frequenting taverns in the Enchanted forest and she didn't intend to in this land either.

With a beaming grin, he replied. "Well, you spent the night with your two new best friends. So that's one good reason." Paul waggled his eyebrows at her while Emma fluttered long eyelashes and flashed her teeth in a wide smile. Regina shook her head at them both, trying to suppress her own grin from forming.

With an exaggerated eye roll she said lightheartedly, "Two drunken fools more like," She got up from her seat and added, "I'm going to the bar, do either of you want another drink?" They both shook their head in unison, showing her their full glasses which they began to drink. "Okay, I shan't be long."

Regina made he way over to the busy bar. She leant over it, trying in vain catch the barmaid's attention as she tapped her foot impatiently. After a few minutes of waiting, she was about to give up and return to her table when she heard an unfamiliar man speak close to her ear. "Can I get you a drink?" He asked. She turned to face him and found a tall man with rugged features, dark blonde hair and a scruffy beard. He gave her a disarming smile as she agreed to his offer. "Hi, I'm Charles," he said offering his hand for Regina to shake. He wore a green shirt with a brown vest and carried a small plastic bow and quiver full of arrows on his back; there also appeared to be an arrow going straight through his head.

"Regina" she replied simply, taking the offered hand and giving her own smile in return. The pair struck up an easy conversation; Regina found the man, dare she say it, quite charming. They both perched on a barstool while they drank and talked together. Regina didn't even notice the pair of green eyes that were watching intently from across the room.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: This chapter picks up from where the last left one left off. It's written mostly from Emma's perspective as I had little interest in writing too much about some bloke hitting on one of our lovely ladies.

Does anyone else think that if OUAT wasn't a family show, Emma would drink excessively and swear profusely? Just me? Anyway WARNING for the use of profanity in this chapter if you are sensitive to such things. Also, there's a potentially triggery section towards to end of the chapter.

Thanks again for the support for the story, you don't know how much I appreciate it.

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"Emma…Ems…Emma!" Paul said as he tried in vain to get the blonde's attention. Eventually, he resorted to waving his hands in front her face to snap her out of her drunken daze.

Blinking to bring herself back to reality Emma responded to her friend. "Huh, you say something?"

"I've been talking to you for like the last five minutes," Paul said with an eye roll and a raised eyebrow.

"Oh right, sorry." She returned to staring off to the other side of the room.

"What the hell's up with you?" The young man queried as he observed his friends dejected appearance. Her shoulders were slumped, face fallen and she was absentmindedly drinking the remnants from the glass in her hand. "I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be the mopey one who's drowning their sorrows right now." He had no idea what had caused the swift change in the woman's mood. She had been happier and bubblier that night than any of the times he'd seen her since they had met again in New York. He guessed she must be one of those people who get sad and retrospective when drunk. Which was a shame, because when Paul had a few too many to drink he was overly friendly and the life and soul of the party.

"Nothing's up." The solemn women said as she swallowed the last dregs of alcohol. "I'm not moping- this is just my resting face." Slamming her empty glass on the table with unnecessary force, she picked up Paul's cocktail and proceeded to drink that too.

"Yeah right. You just keep wallowing while I get the next round in." Paul said to a non-responsive blonde. Shrugging, he left the woman alone to finish his poison apple martini.

xxxxxxx

Paul returned a few minutes later with a tray of drinks in hand. Emma was still staring vacantly into the distance, with a furrowed brow and clenched fist. The sound of her name being called registered and brought the blonde out of her trance.

"Huh?… Oh, thanks." Emma said as she realised her friend had returned with more Halloween cocktails. Paul just responded with a concerned smile as he retook his seat in the booth. After a few moments had passed, Emma asked, "Did you see Regina at the bar, she's been gone for a while now?" Trying her best to sound casual with her query.

"I didn't notice her. I was too busy checking out Jack Sparrow over there." Paul replied as he eyed the pirate leaning against the bar who was grinning in their direction.

"I'm pretty sure that's supposed to be Captain Hook," Emma said, bringing her friends attention back to herself. "Look at his hand, or lack of one."

Paul shrugged nonchalantly, "Pfft like I give a shit. He's still a hot pirate who can plunder my treasures any day."

"Such a way with words," Emma said with a smile, "Are you sure it's not a woman with a fake moustache. No guy wears that much blush and eyeliner."

"Huh, what now?" Paul did a double take. Looking from his friend to the pirate and then back again. "No fucking way, that's definitely a dude."

"Agree to disagree," Emma said although she knew full well that the pirate was a man. She just enjoyed provoking Paul for his over the top reactions.

After another reassuring look at his pirate, he returned to his previous line of questioning. "So, are you gonna tell me what's got up your ass, because you were fine until…" Paul said before his face lit up inspiration. He let out a hearty, knowing laugh "…that's it. Of course, that totally makes sense."

Emma was confused by the reaction, she was still unsure why Paul was so convinced she was acting out of character in the first place. "That's what? What makes sense?" Emma took another Martini glass and began sipping the apple cocktail.

"You have a thing for the Evil Queen!" Paul exclaimed with certainty.

Emma spat out the drink she had in her mouth, "Excuse me? I have no idea what you're talking about." She had no clue where this level of assurance could have come from. Sure, she thought that Regina was an attractive person, and she didn't like how that drunken oaf was leering at her as they spoke. But that was just a friendly thing- a totally plutonic feeling of anger that raged in the pit of her stomach as the pair laughed together.

"Come on Ems, it's obvious." Paul began as he tried to justify his observation, "You've had a brilliant night, you've been happy and smiley and- very unlike yourself actually…"

"Rude," Emma huffed.

"Well, it's true- you've smiled more tonight than in like, well, ever." When he received an unimpressed look, the young man added. "You are more of the strong stoic type and there's nothing wrong with that." She figured that Paul was right, she wasn't exactly the definition of bubbly. Emma generally kept to herself and had learnt a long time ago how to keep her emotions in check.

"Hmm, that's fair I guess…and what's your point exactly?" Emma was still failing to grasp how Paul could have detected any feelings she may or may not have toward the other women.

"My point is, you have it bad for Regina. You go from smiles and goo-goo eyes to a moody bitch as soon as she leaves."

"I don't have a thing for Regina," Emma stated unconvincingly. "And I don't make goo-goo eyes!" She added just for clarification.

Paul grabbed Emma's hand and looked at her with a serious expression. The sort of expression that implied he was about to say something profound and thought-provoking, which she really needed to listen to. "Denial isn't just a river in England you know."

Maybe not too profound then. "No, because it's in Africa, you idiot."

"Whatever, fuck the geography!" He stated with exasperation as his arms flew out dramatically. Sitting closer to Emma, he looked at her as soberly as he could muster. Pointing at her directly in the chest, he jabbed his finger to punctuate each word he said. "You - are - in - denial, - Emma - Gertrude - Swan." He finished with a hiccup, which somewhat ruined to the impact of the statement.

This was a running joke between the two from when they were children. Since Emma had found out Paul's middle name, which he was still highly embarrassed about, he'd decided to give Emma a different middle name every time he addressed her wishing to make a point. "My middle name's not Gertrude." She tried to him distract from his current line of enquiry.

Paul let out a sigh, seeing straight through her attempt to deflect. "Don't change the subject!"

Emma relented knowing that he wouldn't give up until he got an answer. "Fine, I think she's hot, but anyone with eye's would think the same. That doesn't mean anything."

"Nope, not buying it, it's more than that. You may as well spill because I won't leave you alone until you do, and this conversation will be a lot more painful for you tomorrow when you're sober."

Emma sat and reflected for a while, he was right, there was more to it. But Emma wasn't really able to make sense of it herself. She hardly knew Regina, but somehow, deep down, she felt a connection to the woman. It wasn't something she couldn't easily explain- and not something she was used to feeling for another person. Emma Swan didn't do feelings; she had learnt a long time ago to close off that portion of herself.

"Ughh. It's stupid because I barely even know the woman." Emma said as she rested her head in arms on the table.

"Hey, sometimes it happens like that," Paul stated as he placed a reassuring hand on her back. "You know- love at first sight and all those other rom-com cliches." That made Emma sit up and listen.

"Whoah, I never said anything about love- nobodies talking about the L-word in this situation."

"You mean scissoring, right?" Paul joked with a mischievous grin and accompanying hand gestures.

"Paul, what are you, a teenager? Seriously?" Emma said, punching him in the arm a little harder than necessary.

Rubbing the sore spot, he winced and said, "Sorry, please continue your heartfelt declaration."

Shaking her head to try and show her annoyance, Emma continued trying to verbalise what she was feeling. It was difficult for her, and not something she was used to doing, "I dunno, I kinda feel like there's a connection or something. Like we are drawn to each other; like I need to protect her somehow. Does that make sense?" Paul reached for his cell phone and started tapping the screen before bringing it to his ear. Emma furrowed her brow at his actions. "Who are you calling?"

Paul held the phone on his shoulder as he spoke to the blonde with a smile, "U-haul. Would this week or next be good for you?" He let out a laugh at his own joke as he put his phone back in his pocket.

"She lives in the same building, so screw you." Paul laughed again. Emma realised what she'd just said and cringed. She sank down into her seat, mortified with airing the feelings she hadn't realised until moments ago she had for the woman in question. She decided then and there that she was never drinking alcohol again- well, not when Paul was involved.

"So, what are we gonna do about this then?" Paul queried; Emma could tell from the look on his face that there were a hundred thoughts and scenarios circulating through his mind.

"We? There's no we, Paul. There's nothing to do." Paul was shaken from his reverie and pouted at his friend as she continued to speak. "I may have a bit of a girl crush or whatever, but that's it. I'll get over it." Emma shrugged and then quietly added. "It's not like she'd be interested, anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Paul replied with a knowing smirk. Emma wasn't sure why Paul would think differently. She hadn't had any indications from the other woman that any feelings may be reciprocated.

Emma shrugged and looked on nonplussed. "Come on babes, you can't be that dense? Earlier in the kitchen?" Emma's confusion was written all over her face. She had no idea why this was relevant. "The way she eyed you up and down like she was gonna bang you right then and there? I was like, bitches get a room- you are corrupting my delicate disposition with all your sapphic sexual tension."

Emma's head was starting to hurt. She wasn't sure whether it was the onslaught of emotions she was dealing with or the excessive levels of alcohol she'd been consuming that was causing it. It was probably some combination of both. "I thought that was just a character thing, you know Snow White and the Evil Queen. You really think she was flirting, or checking me out or something?" Paul nodded with a smirk. She thought back to earlier that evening and contemplated; Regina certainly had got unnecessarily close to her face when she spoke, and the low husky tone she used was could definitely be described as seductive. Maybe Paul had a point. Getting back to her conversation before she got too lost in her thoughts, Emma said."Well, she's over there smiling and talking to some guy now. So what am I supposed to do about it?"

"Go over there and stake you claim! Put your hat in the ring! Mark her with your scent!" Paul said animatedly.

Emma nudged him in his ribs for the remark, but couldn't hold back her smile, "That's disgusting."

"Well, you catch my drift. If you don't get your ass over there and do something, it might be too late. What if she decides that guy is the love of her life or some shit? How would you feel then?" Emma rolled her eyes; she remembered that even as a child Paul had a tendency towards exaggeration and the overly dramatic.

"She's just met the man. I'll have plenty of time to stake my claim, or whatever it was you said." Dismissing the younger man's concerns, she once again looked over at the happily laughing woman. She had her hand placed on the bearded man's forearm as he spoke into her ear; she certainly seemed quite cosy with him. Maybe Paul wasn't getting too carried away this time.

Seeing her face drop, Paul followed Emma's gaze to where Regina stood and his face soured. "Hell no! That'd better not be who I think it is. Hold on a sec Ems, I need to get a closer look at that asshole."

Paul made his way through the crowd, making sure to wink at the hot pirate as he passed. He was pretty sure he knew who the drunken parasite was, but he needed to be certain before he told Emma. Approaching the happily chatting pair, he had no hesitation in interrupting their conversation. "Hey Regina, just wanted to check everything was okay here? We were a bit worried when you didn't come back."

"Mr Peters, I apologise. I lost track of the time whilst speaking with Charles," Regina said with beaming smile still on her face. She then gestured between the two men as she made introductions, "Charles this is Paul Peters. Paul, Charles is an architect in the City." The blonde haired man gave a sheepish smile in Paul's direction.

"Yes, we're already acquainted," Paul said with a smirk and folded arms, unable to hide his disdain. "Small world, huh?"

The other man scratched his beard and let out an uncomfortable laugh. Regina was oblivious to the awkwardness of the exchange between the two men as she stood. "Well, in that case, Mr Peters, perhaps you can keep Charles company while I excuse myself for a moment?"

"Sure, I'd be happy too."

xxxxxxxx

Emma watched on anxiously as her friend exchanged terse words with the other man, after a couple of minutes he was making his way back across the room towards Emma with a furious look on his face. Upon retaking his seat in the booth, Emma couldn't hold back from her questioning.

"So what was all that about? Who is he?"

Paul let out a harsh breath before starting his rant. "You know Sheila from work?" Emma nodded, she didn't actually know the woman but had heard Paul mention her in conversation. She was the lady who'd worked in the family jewellery store for years, despite being terrible at her job. She had started working there before Paul was even part of the family, so he'd felt obliged to keep her on when he took over the business. "Well, that piece of shit is her son-in-law." Emma could feel herself getting angry as she listened to her friend. "He's cheated on Sheila's daughter Maria a bunch of times- she's the sweetest person too, Ems. She was devastated when she found out about it, but the dick promised that he loved her and wouldn't do it again so she took him back." Paul shook his head and let out a long frustrated sigh.

"Doesn't that asshole know that you know Maria? He's still there with Regina."

"Ah, that's the best part," he stated as he let out a snort of laughter in disbelief. "He asked me not to say anything to her or Regina, as it would only hurt them both. Like it would be my fault, and he's the honourable one is the situation- fuck that shit."

"So you told Regina?" Emma queried.

"Oh no my friend, that's where you come in." She looked back confused as Paul continued to divulge his plan, "You need to swoop in there and save her Majesty from that awful wretch. She'll be so grateful that she will instantly fall in love with you."

Emma didn't particularly like this idea or agree with its outcome being a possibility. It could quite easily backfire for her. "I dunno, Paul. Maybe I shouldn't get involved."

"Emma jokes aside, Regina doesn't deserve to get hurt by that bastard. Plus, she'll be even more hurt if she finds out we knew about him and didn't tell her until it was too late. As a fellow female of the species, the least you can do is go over there and tell her what an ass he is." Emma nodded her agreement, she knew if it were her she would want someone to intervene. "Good, now you go get your girl and I'm going get my Pirate. If I get my way, he'll be shivering my timber tonight." Paul said with a suggestive wink and a brazen laugh as he left the booth. Emma couldn't hold in the chuckle that escaped her lips, despite her sour mood.

"I won't expect you back then," Emma called after her friend, who waved and blew a kiss at her in response.

Emma sat for a while as she finished their drinks and pondered the turn of events. She knew telling Regina the truth about the asshole was the right thing to do, but as she watched the pair across the room look at each other so happily she was beginning to doubt herself. What if this guy was perfect for Regina? Maybe he was actually decent, minus all the cheating. Maybe if they were together, he'd leave his poor wife and never even consider being with anyone else again. Why would he? Emma sat alone and downed the last remnants of alcohol while she tried to weigh up her options. Running away from the whole thing, that was a good one, she liked that idea. She noticed Paul leaving the bar with his pirate in tow- her friend gave her a pointed look before departing. Paul was right, she should go say something. That's what a friend would do; any other potential feelings she may or may not have for the women were irrelevant.

xxxxxxxx

"So Regina, you want to head back to your place? We could continue this there." Charles whispered into Regina's ear as he held onto her waist possessively.

She may not be from this land, but she knew what the man was implying. Regina was royalty and had her standards no matter which realm she was in, so she declined. "It has been wonderful speaking with you Charles, but I think it is time for me to leave. There's someone waiting for me to go home with them." She had noticed that Paul had left a short while earlier and Emma was sat alone, the other woman must have been waiting to accompany her home.

The taller man stepped closer, which Regina didn't find particularly pleasant anymore given the look he now possessed, "Don't worry about your friend. Let's get out of here." The blonde haired man began kissing her the neck, his beard scratching against her skin uncomfortably. She tried pushing his chest to remove him, but his entire weight was on her as he held her against a pillar.

"Get off me, Charles." She snarled as she tried to remove him from her. He leant back slightly, but still had her pinned, unable to escape his clutches.

"Come on, Regina. Don't start acting coy now, you want this." He said as he leant in to kiss her, she could feel his alcohol drenched breath on her face. Before his lips had the chance to meet hers he was dragged away.

"She said to get off her, asshole. So step the fuck away." An infuriated Emma Swan spat out as she stepped between Regina and the shell-shocked man. She stood with her fists clenched, chest heaving in rage and her eyes wide with intent. Even in her ridiculous costume, the woman looked like a threat.

"What the hell?" A stunned Charles managed to spit out as he looked between the two women in confusion. "Regina, who's the lunatic Snow White?" He asked gesturing towards Emma, who remained unflinching in her fury. Regina didn't answer because she was too busy staring at the other woman, unsure how to react to her sudden presence.

Emma took a threatening step closer to the man and pushed his chest slightly. "Hey Douchebag, you don't get to speak to her," she spoke with assurance. Charles, on the other hand, scrunched up his face in confusion. "You should leave before I kick your ass out," Emma said pushing him again, this time, hard enough that he stumbled backwards. "So turn around, and get the fuck out of here."

"Miss Swan, I really think…" Regina began before being drowned out by the argument that broke out between the other two. A small crowd gathered around them as they took up intimidating stances. They hurled a series of insults and profanities at each other; Regina watched on trying to process what was happening. How had things escalated this quickly?

It all ended a few minutes later when Emma punched Charles squarely in the jaw. Shaking off the pain in her hand she spat out, "I don't give a flying fuck what you think you bastard. Now, it's about time you piss off home." She made her way back over to the raging man who was holding his face. "And if I ever see your slimy ass near her again, I will fucking neuter you. Do you understand me?" For his part, Charles just nodded, resigned to having been bested, and left without another word- except for the "Crazy bitch," he mumbled under his breath as he opened the exit door.

Emma watched him leave before turning around to face Regina, who had yet to move from her spot. "Hey, you alright?" Emma asked with a sympathetic look on her face. Regina didn't want sympathy. She didn't need anyone to fight her battles. She was capable of looking after herself.

"I'm perfectly fine, Miss Swan," Regina responded tersely; when she felt exposed and vulnerable, she had a tendency to lash out at the wrong people, "I think it's about time we leave before you can cause any more damage." Emma looked dejected as Regina made her way towards the exit.

"Wait, Regina. Please, I can explain," the blonde shouted after her, as she left the bar, stepping out into the cool night air.

Regina closed her eyes and took in a few calming breaths, moments later the door behind her opened again. When she open her eyelids again she saw Emma, who was now stood in front of her wide-eyed and confused. "Regina, please hear me out, I promise I was just trying to help. You have to believe me," she said looking back at the brunette with sincerity.

"I don't require your help, Miss Swan." Regina spat out, standing closer to Emma to ensure she got her point across. "I don't need you to be my Saviour." Regina could see you blonde studying her as they stood silently in the street; their faces inches apart. Neither one stepped away or spoke as they stared at one another, both women still heavily breathing following recent events. When the blonde spoke, it wasn't with the outrage, or hurt which Regina expected. Instead, the words were soft and said in barely more than a whisper.

"Well, maybe I want to be." Emma looked at Regina with uncertainty, as if trying to gauge her reaction to the statement. She leant in closer.

Regina gulped when she realised the proximately with which they stood and what it implied. "Miss Swan, you are aren't thinking clearly." However, she didn't pull away despite being given adequate opportunity to do so.

Emma's green eyes flitted rapidly from Regina's own down to her lips and back again. "I am thinking more clearly than I have in a long time," Emma responded as she closed the gap between them both. Their lips met for a soft chaste kiss before Emma pulled away with a panic-stricken face. "I-I-I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that to you after everything with that asshole... ugh. I'm such an idiot sometimes." Emma stepped backwards and away from Regina as she berated herself. The brunette remained silent, trying to pull her whirling thoughts and fluctuating emotions together. "I got caught up in the moment. I'm so sorry," Emma repeated as she stepped further away, stumbling over the edge of the kerb.

"Miss Swan, I-" Regina was cut off by the sound of tires squealing and the sickening thud of flesh and bones hitting metal. "Emma!"

* * *

A/N cont. Don't hate me for the cliffhanger *flinches, bracing herself*. We can't have a happy ending quite yet, where would the fun be in that?

If anyone feels inclined to do so, you can out a one shot I put up called 'Two Weeks and Six days'. Have I mentioned how much I love you for reading this (I hear flattery gets you everywhere).


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter is a bit different in style from the others as the bulk of it is written in the 1st person from Emma POV. Don't worry we will get Regina's perspective of the accident in the next one. There are also a few 'Dream Sequences', again from Emma POV. I hope the format isn't too difficult to follow. Let me know if you think I should change it to make it easier to read.

I'm not a trained medical professional, so there will probably things in this chapter that are medically incorrect. I've done a bit of research to try and make it as accurate and realistic as I can, but there could still be some inaccuracies. You have been pre-warned. (Bit of extra info for you. There's a mention later in the chapter of the prefrontal cortex- my googling found it to be an area of the brain responsible for long-term memory. So, make of that what you will.) If you have any questions about the chapter, feel free to ask. As always, I appreciate your support and feedback. Enjoy!

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 _"_ _I got caught up in the moment. I'm so sorry," Emma repeated as she stepped further away, stumbling over the edge of the kerb._

"Miss Swan, I-" Regina was cut off by the sound of tires squealing, Emma's head whipped around to see a yellow taxi heading straight towards her. She was already falling backwards, and the car was approaching too quickly. At that point, she was unable to do anything other than bracing for the inevitable impact.

xxxxxxxx

"Pupils are equal and reactive, and the patient is conscious." A bright light shines in my eyes as an unfamiliar male voice starts speaking. "Hello my name's Michael, I'm a paramedic. You have been in an accident, can you tell me you name?" Okay so I'm still alive then, that's good.

 _Emma, my name's Emma Swan._

"The patient is unresponsive."

 _Hey, Buddy, I just told you my name- it's Emma Swan._

"Her name's Emma Swan, can you help her? Please." That's definitely Regina speaking; I can't see her, but she sounds pretty shook up. I can't believe she stayed with me after I acted like such an idiot- what was I thinking? Oh God, I must look like such a mess right now.

"We will do everything we can," the paramedic replies a bit too ominously for my liking. "Emma, blink if you can hear me?" That shouldn't be too much of a problem. _Blink_. Yes, I can easily do that. "Okay, that's good Emma. We are going to need to move you now so we can put you on a stretcher. It may be a bit uncomfortable for you. Do you understand?" _Blink._ "Okay on the count of three. One - two - three!"

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck - ouch! You bastard, you said a bit uncomfortable…_

xxxxxxxx

"This is Emma Swan, a 30-year-old female. She was a pedestrian in a road traffic collision. She has sustained damage to her head and left leg. Her vitals are low and there are signs of internal bleeding. She has been in and out of consciousness since our arrival at the scene; seems to be aware when conscious but is unresponsive." That sounds like the paramedic again. I guess I must have passed out after they moved me.

 _Where am I? Is this a Hospital?_

There are three people standing over me wearing blue scrubs and white coats; this is probably an Emergency room, so that would make sense. I try and take in my surroundings to get a clearer picture, but my head seems to have been restrained.

"Emma, you need to try not to move okay; you've been in an accident. You are in the ER at New York-Presbyterian. I'm Dr Cooper. I'll be looking after you." A woman with long black wavy hair, friendly eyes and a tired smile says. I blink to show her that I understand. She squeezes my hand reassuringly and turns to address her colleagues. There are mentions of tests and scans and paging Neuro, but I can feel myself drifting back into unconsciousness again.

xxxxxxx

 _Standing in a garden wearing my white tank top and skinny jeans, I hold a chainsaw in my hands. Turning it on, I cut off the branch of the apple tree in front of me which falls to the floor. Game on, Regina Mills. Looking up to her office, the proud grin that breaks out over my face upon seeing her shock and anger is impossible to hold back. A matter of moments later, the woman in question is striding purposefully across the lawn in her grey dress. I rev the chainsaw a few more times just to antagonise her some more. "What the hell are you doing!?" She shouts, the anger radiating off her is palpable._

 _"_ _Picking apples." Is my nonchalant reply before dropping the chainsaw to the floor. What is it with this woman and apples?_

 _"You're out of you mind!" She's right in my personal space now, but I don't back down. In fact, it only spurs me on more._

 _"_ _No, you are if you think a shoddy frame job's enough to scare me off. You're gonna have to do better than that. If you come after me one more time, I'm coming back for the rest of this tree. Because, sister, you have no idea what I am capable of." Walking away from the shell-shocked woman I add over my shoulder, "Your move!" with a smirk._

xxxxxxx

Wow, that was a hell of a dream. I have no idea why Regina would be so upset over an apple tree, or why I would want to cut it down in the first place for that matter? Why is she trying to frame me? More importantly, why am I trying to analyse a dream? I dunno, it just felt so realistic though, like déjà vu or something. Great, now I'm having a conversation with myself in my head; I blame the shitload of pain meds they must have me on. The short hair really suited her, though… wait, is there someone in the room?

I try my best to listen to what's happening around me, but it seems just out of reach. I'm only able to catch some of what a female voice says, "…performed emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on her brain…partial splenectomy…will require further surgery…she will wake up when she's ready." That must be the doctor speaking. I can't open my eyes to confirm it, but it's fine because I need to rest now anyway.

xxxxxxx

"Hey Ma, I don't know if anyone's told you yet, so I thought I'd let you know that the Doctor says you're in a coma. But that's just so your body has a chance to recover from the accident and the surgery." Henry says softly, it sounds like he's trying the hold back tears, but the emotion still seeps through every word. "You really scared me you know."

 _I'm so sorry, Henry_.

"I don't know if you can hear me, but talking to you can't harm right? I'm sure that some people say that sometimes when a person is in a coma, they can still hear you."

 _Yes, I can hear you, Kid. Keep talking to me, I really need to hear your voice right now._

His quiet sobs are all that can be heard in the silence, well that and the incessant beeping of the bloody heart monitor.

"I'm staying with Paul and Mable while you're in here, but I really need you to wake up soon, okay? I need you to do that for me."

 _I'll try my best, Kid. I promise. I love you, Henry_.

"Please just wake up. I love you, Ma." He adds in a broken whisper.

xxxxxxx

 _I'm standing in a dark tunnel, the main source of light is coming from Regina's hands. Henry and his young Grandparents are huddled together. "I can't contain this much longer" Regina manages to say, her whole body is shaking with effort as she focuses all her energy on stopping the trigger. The realisation that we aren't going to make it hits us all._

 _"_ _Mom... Dad…" It's the first time I've said the words to them. On the brink of tears, I head over to the young couple and my son; embracing the three for the final time. Now that I have them in my arms, I'm unable to stop the tears from flowing._

 _Henry breaks away to go to Regina, who tearfully says, "I love you, Henry. I only wish I was strong enough to stop all this. I'm just not."_

 _Then an idea hits me; I let out a small gasp. Pulling away from my parents, I walk over to Regina, "You may not be strong enough, but maybe we are." We look at each other for a moment, while the others move further away. Stepping forward, I raise my hands causing beams of light emerge from them and into the trigger. The strength it requires leaves my whole body trembling. Eventually, our combined efforts work. We both get blasted backwards and the now harmless stone falls to the floor._

xxxxxxxx

"The Surgery was a success, we managed to repair the fractures to her left legs and we see no further complications arising. With some physical therapy, she should have full mobility." I don't recognise this voice, it must be a different doctor. It sounds like I've been for more surgery. That must be why I had another one of those weird dreams, does anaesthesia do that? Are dreams, or hallucinations, or whatever the hell they are a side effect? Maybe it's the morphine that's causing it- I'm probably on plenty of that right now. That would explain it because I have no idea why I would dream of having parents; let alone one's my own age. Maybe its like one of those physiological things; when you are sick you want your parents no matter what age you are- or even if you don't have any. Yup, I'm pretty sure that's a thing. Are there still people speaking? I should probably be listening while I still can.

"… do you have any further questions?"

"No, I don't think so. Thank you, Doctor." That's Paul, it doesn't suit him to sound so serious. There's the shuffling of feet and then a few seconds later Paul is speaking again, "Ems? Uh…It's Paul."

 _Yeah, no shit Paul._

"Umm…So… God, I feel like a total idiot; I am attempting to have a conversation with an unconscious person."

 _I am mentally rolling my eyes at you right now, just so you know. At least, tell me how Henry is, or something else useful._

"If someone could see me they would be like- who is that fucking lunatic talking to the comatose lady?"

 _Seriously Paul? I would slap you right now if I could. I will probably black out again in a few minutes and you are wasting my time by rambling about how stupid you feel._

"But Henry's convinced that it will help so here goes…"

 _…_ _any time today will do._

"So, it's been just over a week now Ems. You haven't woken up for over a week and we're all starting to get a bit freaked out about it."

 _A week! Over a week! How has that happened? What about Henry? Paul, please talk about my son. Tell me how's he's coping._ If there was a way to wake myself through sheer will power alone, I would have woken up by now. Some form of divine intervention would really good at this point? Nothing? Fine.

"Henry's coping surprisingly well, probably better than I am to be honest. He's a good kid Ems, you did a good job with him, you should be proud. I'm staying at your apartment with him.I thought it'd be better for Henry to say in his own home."

 _Thank you, Paul. I don't think I tell you this enough but we are lucky to have you. I honestly don't know what we would do without you right now._

"Don't worry though, I promise I won't trash the place- much." I can imagine the grin on his face. "Gran looks after him while I'm working, and stays most of the evening too. I don't cook - full stop. So he would be living on takeaways and microwave meals without her."

 _Why doesn't that surprise me?_ I'm smiling on the inside if that's a thing.

xxxxxxx

"Who's going to present?" A stern sounding woman asks abruptly. A few seconds pass before an unfamiliar male speaks.

"Emma Swan, Female, 30 years of age. Presented to the ER three weeks ago with internal bleeding, a Subdural Haematoma and multiple fractures to left Tibia, Fibula and Femur…" He continues to list off more information about other minor injuries and my surgeries so far, but I stop listening. It's the same routine as usual; nothing's changed. I'm still in a coma. They still have no idea what to do to wake me up, and neither do I.

xxxxxxx

"Happy Thanksgiving, Ma." That smells like turkey, and I'm pretty sure there's stuffing too… this is torture. "We decided to have Thanksgiving dinner here with you," Henry adds, which clarifies the reason for the smell.

"We figured if anything would wake you up, it would be the thought of missing out on a meal."

 _Very funny, Paul. I'm totally laughing right now._

"Paulie, don't be so insensitive." Mable chastises him.

 _Yeah Paulie, listen to your Grandmother._

It's such a touching gesture for them all to spend their Thanksgiving with me in my comatose state. But let's be honest, it's kind of a bit morbid too. I wonder where Regina is, maybe she's here and I haven't heard her yet.

"We asked Regina if she wanted to come too, but she couldn't make it," Henry says.

It's as if the Kid can read my mind sometimes. I can't help but feel a little disappointed that she's not here. I would have liked it if she were here too, all the important people in my life in one room. My periods of awareness are quite random and fleeting, but I'm yet to have one with Regina; not since the night of the accident itself. It's most likely because she hasn't visited. Not that I expect her to or anything. I'm hardly the most riveting company in my current state.

"She has been asking about you, though. I see her a quite a lot. She comes round to make sure I'm alright and to see if there's been any news about you." At least, she asks how I am- that's something. I can work with that. She's keeping an eye on Henry too which is nice of her; she seems quite fond of him.

The three happily chat amongst themselves while they eat their meals; it would be a normal Thanksgiving if they weren't spending it in my hospital room with a heart monitor as background music.

xxxxxxx

The Doctors are back again. Some random intern is giving the same list of injuries and surgeries as per usual. The only difference so far is that it has now been five weeks since the patient, being me, first presented.

"What were the findings of the most recent MRI scan, Jacobs?" The stern one asks the flustered intern. This is a new development, I should take note of the answer.

"Umm… I'm just looking…give me a sec."

 _Come on, Jacobs. She's gonna tear you a new one if you don't get it together...I would also appreciate the info._

"Jacobs, we don't have all day."

"I have them here. According to Dr White in Neuro, there is a very small Haematoma in the prefrontal cortex. He thinks this could be the reason the patient isn't waking up. They plan to operate tomorrow morning to remove the bleed and will reassess the situation from there." This sounds promising. There's a chance that by the time tomorrow I'll be awake, but it's best not to get my hopes up too soon. I've had too many disappointments in life to let myself get carried away with wishful thinking. Let's just wait and see.

xxxxxxxx

 _Regina approaches me as I stand apart from the rest of the group at the town line, "Emma. There's something I haven't told you."_

 _"_ _What now?" I sigh, isn't the fact that I have to leave behind the people I care about enough?_

 _"_ _When the curse washes over us, it will send us all back. Nothing will be left behind; including your memories. It's just what the curse does. Storybrooke will no longer exist. It won't ever have existed. So these last years will be gone from both your memories. Now we'll go back to being just stories again." She explains sombrely._

 _"_ _What will happen to us?" I ask, unsure how Henry and I will be affected._

 _"_ _I don't know."_

 _"_ _Doesn't sound like much of a happy ending." I thought that I was supposed to bring back the happy endings, some saviour I turned out to be._

 _"_ _It's not. But I can give you one." Regina replies._

 _"_ _You can preserve our memories?"_

 _"_ _No, I can... do what I did to everyone else in this town. And give you new ones." That doesn't necessarily sound like a better alternative to me._

 _"_ _You cursed them and they were miserable." I retort, stating the obvious._

 _"_ _They didn't have to be," She says with a smile. Regina is kinda beautiful when she smiles; who am I kidding? She is all the time._

 _Then, Regina does something that completely catches me off guard; she takes my hand in her own. Before now my physical contact with this woman generally involved one or both of us getting punched, or sucked into portals. This is a caring gesture- it has a warmth to it that Regina usually reserves only for Henry. "My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you and-" She indicates for Henry to join us. I'm having visions of the three of us as a little family unit now, which is really not helping matters. I can barely hold back the tears that are threatening to flow,"—Henry. You'll have never given him up." Neither can Regina, "You'll have always been together."_

 _"_ _You would do that?" Is my awestruck response to the amazing gift I'm being given._

 _"_ _When I stop Pan's curse and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted." I'm not so sure it is anymore._

 _"_ _But it won't be real." and my family won't be there, I add mentally._

 _"_ _Well, your past won't. But your future will. Now go. There isn't much time left and the curse will be here any minute."_

 _Oh shit, I think I'm in love with Regina Mills. I should hug her or something, right? What the hell, I may as well kiss her. Maybe it'll break Pan's curse in the process. No, you are being an idiot Emma, that only works with True Love. Before I have a chance to do either my mother strides over, she holds my face and kisses my forehead. Way to spoil my moment with Regina, Mom. Would it be super awkward for me to go kiss her now? What to do, what to do…? I know, I'll run from my feelings; it's what I do best. It's not like I'm gonna remember any of this anyway._

 _Henry and I get in the Bug and drive over the town line; leaving our family, Storybrooke and a fast approaching green and purple cloud in our wake._

xxxxxxx

"Everything went well in Emma's surgery. There were no complications and we managed to remove the bleed successfully. Emma's vitals are stable and the initial post op checks are looking promising." Dr White said reassuringly to the three worried faces at Emma's bedside.

"But will she wake up?" Henry asked-it's the only thing he needed to know. It had been five weeks of hospital visits to a non-responsive Mother. He had tried his best to be strong; he knew it was what she would have wanted, but the ordeal was starting to take its toll on the young boy.

"I am optimistic she will wake soon, there is no medical reason for her not to at this point. However, I can't be certain there won't be any deficits when she does wake."

"Deficits? What sort of deficits?" Paul asked anxiously, his mind starting to fill with unpleasant images of a potential future for the strong woman lying motionless in her hospital bed. She was all Henry had, his only family. Of course, Paul and his Grandmother would be there for the pair too in any way they could.

He was interrupted from his musings before he could get too carried away with himself again. "Honestly, there could be any number of issues, her speech or vision may be affected. There may be some memory loss; it's best not to speculate until Emma wakes up and I can assess her." This did little to ease any of Emma's visitors' minds.

"How long will that take, Doctor White?" Mable queried, holding Henry around the shoulders. She had done her best over the past weeks to be supportive to the young boy, and Paul had really stepped up to help out. But Henry was still a child and she knew that he needed his Mother.

"It could be a few hours. It could be a few days; Emma has been through her third major surgery in just over a month. So, it may take a bit of time." Henry, Mable and Paul nodded their heads in understanding. "Do you have any further questions?" Dr White addressed all three tired looking faces- they declined and so he left the room to allow them time to process the information they had been given.

xxxxxxx

"How about we head home for a bit - take a shower and get something to eat?" Paul asked Henry, who hadn't left his mother's bedside for the twelve hours since she came out of surgery. "We won't be long."

"No, I'm not leaving," Henry said adamantly. "I don't want her to be on her own when she wakes up. You can go if you want, but I'm staying." Mable had reluctantly left a little while earlier to get some sleep, so it was just Paul and Henry with Emma. Despite how much he needed a break, Paul wasn't going to force Henry to leave his mother's side.

"I will stay with Henry, Mr Peters," came a familiar voice from behind the pair. "You go home and rest. We will inform you if there's any change in Emma's condition."

xxxxxxx

Once Regina had arrived, it hadn't taken long for Henry to fall asleep in the cot beside Emma's bed. Paul had left about an hour ago; Regina had told him that he needed to get some sleep, which he eventually relented to - despite his insistence that he would be back after a short break. The room was silent other than the sound of a steady beep from one of the machines. Regina walked to the other side of the bed to check on the sound asleep boy, she pulled a blanket over him to keep him warm. Making her way back to the seat at Emma's bedside, she started to speak to the unconscious blonde, who looked much better than the last time Regina had seen her.

"I'm sorry I haven't been to see you more, Miss Swan - Emma," Regina corrected herself, there wasn't the need for formalities to create a distance between them in this situation. "It's just…" She trailed off for a few moments, letting out a breath."Before I arrived in New York I wasn't the sort of person who felt any remorse for my actions and for the most part, I still don't. But seeing you in this state because of me, I just couldn't face it. If it weren't for my actions that night, you wouldn't be here; Henry would still have his mother at home. I shouldn't have pushed you away after you helped me, but you see, I'm not a good person like you, Emma. I'm selfish and cold-hearted and extinguish any potential for light and happiness in my life." Regina began laughing to herself, "Do you know what's so amusing? The whole reason I'm here is because apparently this old compass-" She held the gold compass between her fingers, which had now been replaced on her neck. She had taken it off after her first day here, and hadn't thought to wear it again. "-Would guide me to where I needed to be, and where do I end up? In an elevator with you and Henry on the other side of the door. But that's not the punchline, oh no. The irony is that when you kissed me, and I hoped for a moment that this compass had led me to you, you go and get hit a car. If that's not a sign that something isn't meant to be, then I don't know what is!" The brunette went quiet for a moment, before adding, "I think maybe it's too late for me for to get my happy ending…" Coughing from the bed drew Regina's attention.

Emma was choking. Panic-stricken, Regina ran out to the corridor to find help. At the sight of the distressed women, a man in blue clothing approached Regina to offer her help.

"She's choking…Emma's choking… do something." Regina managed to spit out during her moment of hysteria. The man calmly walked past Regina and into Emma's room, he approached the blonde who lay on her bed and began to remove the tube that was in her mouth.

"W-what's happening?" a sleepy Henry said, stretching after he woke up due to the commotion.

"Your Mom's waking up," the smiling man said as he continued to check the machines around Emma. Henry's eyes grew wide, and he bounded from his cot to stand next to Regina. "That's why she was choking on the tube; she's breathing on her own." Regina remained rigid, she was still recovering from the sight of the blonde gasping for air.

"Ma, can you hear me?" Henry asked his now serene Mother as he approached the bed and grasped her hand. "Ma?" Regina and Henry stood silently and watched as the woman on the bed began to slowly crack open her eyelids, before closing them again. "She opened her eyes, did you see Regina?" Henry said excitedly as he turned to face the brunette. He looked at her with a radiant and hopeful grin, which Regina reflected back towards the young boy who she had become so endeared to during the past weeks.

"Yes, Henry I saw. Maybe you should try speaking to her again?"

"No, I think you should," the young boy replied to a confused Regina, "You were the one talking to her when she began to wake up, weren't you?" How did he know that? Regina was certain he had been asleep.

"Oh, I'm sure it would be better if it were you, Henry," She tried, but the look she received from the boy made it clear that his stubbornness was not going to waver. Regina stepped closer to the bed and placed one hand on Henry's shoulder; with the other, she gently ran her fingers across Emma's cheek. "Emma…" she began in a soft tone, not quite sure what to say. "Henry's here and he would appreciate it if you woke up now. We all would…" the brunette looked back over to Henry, who urged her to continue. "Do you think you could open your eyes again for us, Emma?" There was no response, not even a flicker of an eyelash.

"I think you should kiss her," Henry stated matter of factly. "That always works in the books and on TV."

"What? Who? Me?" Regina spluttered out, shocked at the boy's statement. After pulling herself together she replied to the boy, "Henry, this isn't a fairytale. Emma's not under some sort of curse. A kiss isn't going to help your Mother."

"It might…" Regina's head whipped around to where the croaky response had come from, Henry's face lit up with a wide smile, "Hey, Kid. Regina…what the hell's going on?"

* * *

Additional A/N: the episodes referred to in this chapter are 1.2,2.22 and 3.11. I'm just going to leave you to ponder on their significance for now. But it will all make sense later, you have my word :)


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: In this chapter, there's a flashback to start giving some insight into how Regina ended up in New York. We'll also see how Emma is after waking up from her coma, and get a better insight into what happened on the night of the accident from Regina's perspective.

Once again not a medical professional.

Also thank you for all the reviews and support. I'm loving reading people's theories as to what's happening. Let's see if this chapter helps to confirm anything.

* * *

Flashback to the Enchanted Forrest

 _Snow White paced aimlessly back and forth across the palace courtyard. She didn't know what she was going to do with the Evil Queen now that she had stopped her execution- it had been a spur of the moment decision. The young woman hadn't thought about what would happen next. However, Snow was certain that the woman she once knew was still in there; she just needed a way for Regina to allow herself to become that person again. She stopped at the sight of the wooden post the Evil Queen had been shackled to._

 _"My, my aren't we troubled, Dearie." Came the unmistakable brogue from behind the young queen, disrupting her contemplation._

 _"Rumpelstiltskin, what brings you here?" Snow asked suspiciously as she turn in his direction. The Dark One was sat across the courtyard in a throne._

 _"After today's events, I figured you may be in need of my assistance?" Rumple said with a smirk as he straightened his posture and flourished his hand. "Am I correct in presuming that all this pacing has something to do with the Evil Queen? You know, she really isn't worth those worry lines, Dearie." He finished with his distinctive cackle._

 _Snow let out a sigh, she didn't trust the man- if you could call him a man. But he had helped her in the past, and the rest of the council were unconvinced that Regina could ever change her ways. Maybe Rumpelstiltskin was her last option,"I just wish there was a way for Regina to prove she can be different; to give her a chance at redemption- a fresh start…" Snow trailed off, lost in thought._

 _"Well, wishing for it isn't going to help you, Dearie. But I can." That got Snow's attention._

 _She walked closer as she questioned him warily. "What do you mean you can help? What can you do?"_

 _"It's quite simple really." Rumple vanished and reappeared directly in front of Snow White; pointing at her chest he said. "All I require is that compass around your neck and a hair of Regina's." He began to walk away. A few steps later, turning on the spot with a finger on his chin, he added. "On second thought, just to be certain, let's make it two …"_

 _Snow eyed him with caution. It wasn't the first time he had asked her for hair, so she didn't question it too much. But why would he require her compass? It was a sentimental keepsake; Snow wore it as a way to symbolise that she and Charming would always find each other. She had won it in a bet with a rum soaked pirate during her time as a bandit. He had told her some tall tale about how the compass was guided by the heart. She hadn't believed a word of it- even a drunk wasn't foolish enough to give away something that powerful. However, the following day she had ambushed a carriage which happened to be the one that her Charming was travelling in with his betrothed. Snow was a romantic at heart and liked the story of it all. One day she would tell her children how it had led her to her Prince. "Why do you need my compass?" She asked as she subconsciously rested her hand where the object lay over her heart._

 _"Why do you ask so many questions? Just have the items I need by morning," Rumple snipped before sarcastically adding. "And I will see to it that Regina finds her happiness."_

 _Seemingly as an afterthought, but with a decidedly more sinister inflection he said. "You will need to ask that fairy friend of yours for one of her precious magic beans too. I know she has a supply of them, despite what she claims." Snow considered this for a moment, magic beans were extremely hard to come by, but she was sure that if she asked Blue for one, the fairy would be only too happy to oblige. There was only one thing left to settle- the price of a deal with Rumpelstiltskin, and whether she would be willing to pay it._

 _"If I agree to go ahead with your plan; what is it going to cost me? With you, there is always a price." Snow said suspiciously._

 _"Why nothing, Dearie…Let's just say - I'm invested in both your futures." He stated with a calculating grin._

xxxxxxx

"Follow my finger…" Doctor White proceeded to move his hand from left to right, then up and down, which Emma mirrored with her eyes, "That's good." He shone his torch in front of each eye in turn before he spoke again. "I need to ask you a few questions."

"Okay, shoot."

"What's your name?

"Emma Swan."

"How old are you?"

"Just turned thirty." Emma's lip tugged up at the corner at the memory of her surprise party.

"What year is it?"

"Is this really necessary? I told you I feel fine Doc" Emma said with a huff, as she pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the bed.

"Just answer the question please, Emma."

"Fine, it's 2012," she said, unable to suppress the little eye roll of annoyance. She just wanted to see Henry right now.

"Okay good, what's the last thing you can remember?"

"You saying- what's the last thing you can remember?" Emma said petulantly.

"Before your accident," Doctor White clarified with a good-natured grin.

"Uhh, looking for some fake blood for my Halloween costume I think."

"When would that have been?

"Probably about an hour before we were due to go to the party"

"Okay, can you tell me the four words I asked you to remember earlier?"

"Cloud, book, clock, apple."

xxxxxxxx

"What's taking them so long?" Paul queried to no one in particular. He had rushed back to Emma as soon as he'd received a phone call from the hospital to inform him that his friend had woken up. He stood with Regina and Henry outside Emma's room whilst Doctor White concluded his tests. A minute or so later, the door opened and the Doctor emerged with a smile on his face.

"Everything is looking positive so far, but I will need to keep an eye on Emma over the next few days." Doctor White stated reassuringly.

"She doesn't have any deficits, or whatever you called them?" Paul asked, just wanting to clarify.

"No, she is doing well. She can't remember the few hours before the accident, but that isn't something I'm concerned about considering the amount of trauma that Emma went through."

"Thank you, Doctor White" Regina added. Although she was unsure what to make of the fact that Emma couldn't remember the time before the accident. She didn't know whether the emotion that nestled inside her was one of relief or disappointment.

"You may go in and see her now- I'm sure you'll have plenty to catch up on." The Doctor said as he patted Henry on the shoulder and left. Henry wasted no time as he sprinted through the door and jumped onto the bed next to his mother.

"Hey, Kid. What's the hurry?" Emma said, laughing as the boy crashed into her side. She put an arm around him and held him tight. Wrapping both his arms around her waist, the young boy hugged her and didn't say a word. Emma looked up to see Paul and Regina standing in the doorway, "You don't have to stand there staring, you can come in you know?"

"Sorry, Ems. It's still a bit of a shock to see you sitting up in bed." Paul responded with a smile, making his way to one of the chairs in the room.

"How are you feeling, Miss Swan?" Regina asked, still feeling a bit out of her depth in the situation. She remained standing near the door.

"I'm good. My leg's a little sore, and my head is feeling a bit fuzzy- but other than that I can't really complain. These are some good meds they're pumping me with." The blonde grinned as she gestured towards her IV drip. In actuality, her headache was blinding, and there was no chance of her being able to walk on her leg yet; but there was no need to cause any more worry to those around her than she already had.

"I've been talking to you," were the muffled words from Henry, who was still buried in his mother's side.

"Huh?" Was all Emma could say in response, she didn't know what he was referring to.

"While you were in your coma, I talked to you. Did you hear me?" Henry pulled his head away just enough to see his mother's face. Emma looked down at the boy with sympathetic eyes and a sad smile.

"I'm sorry Henry. I can't remember." He nodded in resignation. Seeing her son's crestfallen face she added, "I'm really glad you did, though. Just because I can't remember it, doesn't mean I didn't hear you. I know I would have felt so much better knowing that you were near me; I always feel better when you're around." Emma wrapped her son in a hug again.

Henry nodded into her chest," m'kay." After a few more seconds he let go of his Mother. Looking decidedly more cheerful he stated, "I have so much to tell you."

After a good thirty minutes of Henry detailing the events of the past five weeks while everyone listened quietly, he finally finished his retelling of events. "…and that's when you woke up." Emma nodded trying her best to take in as much of the information as possible. Henry had given her a thorough account of his visits, including Thanksgiving; she couldn't believe she had missed out on a home cooked dinner. He discussed his living arrangements for the previous weeks- Emma wouldn't be able to ever thank Paul enough for staying with her son. He even mentioned some of the evenings Regina had spent with him. She watched as the woman's face lit up when Henry spoke; it was evident that the other woman had developed a bond with her son already.

There was one thing that he hadn't explained to her, though. "What actually happened to me? I mean the Doctor told about my injuries and stuff, and that I was hit by a car. But I still don't know how it happened." Emma looked around the room at the three other faces as she waited for an answer.

"Regina was with you," Henry said, turning towards the woman who had now perched herself on the end of the bed next to the boy. "She can tell you what happened." Emma looked at the slightly startled brunette expectantly.

"Yes well, I suppose I can recount the accident if you think it will help, Miss Swan," Regina said, her mind now whirring with the events of the night; she was uncertain how much of it she should reveal. Emma agreed, urging her to begin her retelling of the accident. Regina made a split second decision and opted to pick up the story just a moment before the car hit the blonde. The details of what had occurred prior to it were irrelevant at this point in time. "We were heading home from the party and you were rather intoxicated…"

xxxxxxx

"Miss Swan, I-" Regina was cut off by the sound of tires squealing and the sickening thud of flesh and bones hitting metal. "Emma!" It all happened so quickly. Out of nowhere a taxi sharply turned the corner and plowed straight into Emma. Regina ran to the other woman, who was lying on the floor in front of the car. Her eyes were closed, and blood was trickling from her forehead and nose. "Emma! Emma! Can you hear me?" Regina shouted in a panic; the blonde didn't murmur.

The door of the taxi flew open and a short, balding man stepped out - his face drained of its colour. "I tried to stop…I tried…She came out of nowhere." Regina could feel her fear for the blonde morph into a more recognisable emotion- anger. She allowed it to course through her veins as she raised her right hand in an automatic reflex. She willed her magic forwards; a well-placed fireball was just what was required. Caught up in her fury, it took a few seconds for Regina to remember that was no longer a possibility. This was an annoyance; but it wouldn't hinder her, she didn't need magic to dispatch with the man.

"How dare you try and justify your incompetence to me you snivelling, inconsequential Oaf." Regina snarled. "You will pay for this."

"L-listen Lady, I'm sorry… b-but she just stepped out in front of me. I-I couldn't slow down in time." The man stuttered as he slowly backed away from the furious woman.

"You imbecile," She sneered, stalking closer toward the wide-eyed driver. "Do you have any idea who I am? Do you know what I am capable of? I could destroy you and everything you care about before you manage to string a coherent sentence together."

Before she could say or do anything further, she was interrupted by a young woman dressed in a torn yellow ball gown. "I've called 911 and an ambulance is on its way. It'll be here in a couple of minutes. The person on the phone said not to move her, just to wait for the paramedics to arrive." Regina had no idea what an ambulance was, or who was on their way. But the assured tone with which the girl spoke and reassuring smile she gave managed to bring Regina out of her rage; someone was coming with assistance. Although Regina couldn't see how the lifeless blonde could be healed without some sort of magical intervention; these wounds couldn't be treated with a poultice or herbs alone. Hopefully, this land had other forms of healing.

Forgetting about the spluttering taxi driver, she walked back over to where Emma still lay motionless. The brunette leant down to get a better look at the woman. She was still breathing, that was a good sign. Gently, she tucked the golden waves that were hanging limply over her face behind Emma's ear. She wished now more than at any point since arriving in this land that she still had her magic. Regina knew she was by no means an accomplished healer- she generally inflicted harm rather than repair it back in the Enchanted Forest. However, she could have done something. Instead, Emma's fate was out of her control; Regina felt of little use. All she could do was to stay with the woman while they waited for assistance. "Hold on, Emma. Help is on its way." Regina said in a soft but firm tone "You just need to hold on. Henry needs you, and Paul needs you…" She paused for a brief moment before adding in a whisper, "and I'm beginning to think that perhaps I need you too."

After what felt to Regina like an eternity, but, in reality, was only two minutes, the ambulance arrived. The flashing lights and siren startled her from her whispered reassurances. Once the white vehicle came to a stop, the door opened and a man approached her wearing a navy uniform. "Ma'am I will need you to step back for a moment so I can assess the patient," Regina stood and moved away wordlessly, allowing the paramedic to kneel next to Emma. He placed the bag he carried on the floor next to him and begun to pull out various items. Regina couldn't see what he was doing, but she was comforted somewhat by his confident presence nonetheless.

"Hello, my name's Michael, I'm a paramedic. You have been in an accident, can you tell me you name?" He said to the woman laying on the floor- there wasn't an answer. Another man exited the vehicle in a matching uniform and proceeded to open its back doors. "The patient is unresponsive," he stated, which caused Regina's fear for the blonde to rise again. She knew Emma hadn't been responding before but had thought that these men would have done something more to heal her.

"Her name's Emma Swan, can you help her? Please." Regina said, unable to hide the panic she could feel.

"We will do everything we can Ma'am" was the Paramedics reply.

xxxxxxx

"So, let me get this straight. We were heading home after the party. I was drunk- fell into the road and got hit by a taxi. Nothing else happened. Is that right?" She could tell that the brunette was holding something back, but she didn't know what.

"That's correct, Miss Swan." Emma eyed her sceptically. Her lie detector was pinging, but she decided she wouldn't press the issue just yet. "Then an ambulance arrived and brought us here."

"Us?" Emma was surprised that Regina had stayed with her. She thought that most people would have waited for an ambulance and left.

"Yes, I accompanied you to the Emergency Room," Regina said as if it were obvious.

"Oh right, uh thanks. Um…that was nice of you," the blonde mumbled, taken aback by the admission. She wasn't quite sure how to respond; instead, she decided to listen to the rest of the story. "So what happened when we got to the hospital?"

xxxxxxx

Regina trailed after the paramedics and a lifeless Emma as the blonde was wheeled from the ambulance into the hospital. A team of people in white coats were there to greet them. Michael, the paramedic informed them of the information he knew. "This is Emma Swan, a 30-year-old female. She was a pedestrian in a road traffic collision. She has sustained damage to her head and left leg. Her vitals are low and there are signs of internal bleeding. She has been in and out of consciousness since our arrival at the scene; seems to be aware when conscious but is unresponsive." During the ambulance ride, he had questioned Regina to try and gather information on the unconscious woman. But the brunette could give little more than Emma's age and details of the accident.

Now they were inside the building, Regina could see that Emma's eyes were open and rapidly scanning the scene around her. This lifted her spirits slightly, perhaps the other woman wasn't as hurt as she had feared. The eyes grew wider and more panicked as the blonde tried to lift her head. The restraints in place were preventing her from doing so. A woman with long dark hair who seemed to be in charge spoke to her patient, "Emma, you need to try not to move okay; you've been in an accident. You are in the ER at New York-Presbyterian. I'm Dr. Cooper. I'll be looking after you." The doctor proceeded to instruct those around her on what they should do next and Emma was quickly wheeled away through a set of doors. Regina stood and stared around her. She was in the middle of a large bustling area with people in various degrees of distress and illness. Some sat in chairs coughing while others were laid out in beds bleeding or wincing in pain. Heading in the direction Emma had been taken, she was promptly stopped from entering a closed off room. "I'm sorry, but you can't go into the trauma room. You will need to wait out here." Regina considered arguing and demanding to stay at Emma's side, but the older man gave her a gentle smile and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. His calming presence caused Regina to instantly forgot any scathing remark which had been close to falling from her lips. "Come on, I'll get you something hot to drink while you wait."

Regina followed the man, whose badge read Steven Andrews -senior nurse, to the waiting area. He handed her a paper cup with a light brown liquid inside. "I've got you some tea; the coffee from the machine is awful and you've been through enough trauma for one night." He let out a chuckle at his attempt to lighten the mood. Regina eyed the cup sceptically. She was accustomed to drinking tea- that was not the issue. It was the flimsy container it came in that baffled the woman. It hardly seemed like a suitable material to place a hot liquid in. Thanking the nurse she took a sip- she supposed it would have to do for now. The older man took a seat opposite Regina and drank from his own cup. "Do you know Emma well?" He asked.

"Not particularly, we met just over a week ago," Regina replied. It was the truth; she barely knew the other woman. This made it all the more disconcerting to her that it felt like her world was now being torn apart- she shouldn't care this much about the welfare of someone she had just met.

"Does Emma have any relatives you know of that we could contact?"

"Only her son who is twelve. Our Landlady is looking after him."

"Do you have her contact information?"

"I know her name and address if that's of use."

"How about a phone number?" She responded in the negative. Regina didn't have one of those talking devices yet. So, she hadn't felt the need to retain phone numbers. "No problem, let me check to see if Emma has her phone with her. I'll see if the number is on there."

xxxxxxx

"Nurse Andrews tried to call Mable, but there was no answer. So I suggested that he try and contact Paul." Regina raised an eyebrow and smirked at him. For his part, Paul had the decency to look a little sheepish. Emma observed the exchange of looks between the two and determined there was more to the story.

"I headed straight over once I knew," Paul confirmed. He failed to mention the cringeworthy drunken phone call with the nurse who had contacted him off Emma's cell. It had included several pirate-themed sexual innuendos, and Paul had taken a fair amount of convincing that it all wasn't some sort of practical joke. Of course, once he realised the seriousness of the situation he felt terrible and left to be with his friend immediately. However, he decided Emma didn't need to be privy to that knowledge.

xxxxxxx

It had been several hours since Paul had arrived at the hospital and Emma was still in surgery. Himself and Regina were sat waiting anxiously for any news about how she was doing. He sat sipping a disgusting coffee while Regina paced across the waiting room.

"Why haven't they told us anything?" Regina said in exasperation. She had refused to leave when Paul arrived despite him telling her she could. She was still wearing her black leather ensemble; although once her hair was let down and the dark makeup was removed, she looked more approachable than an Evil Queen should.

Paul got up and added some more sugar to his coffee, "I'm taking it as a good sign. It means they are still operating on her." When the confused brunette looked at him, he clarified his logic. "That means that she's still alive." He'd seen Grey's Anatomy so he knew how these things worked. The amount of trauma his friend had sustained meant that the surgeons were fighting to keep her alive. "Regina, come and sit down. Your pacing is making me feel angsty."

xxxxxxx

"So there is one good thing that came out of all this," Paul said to Regina to try and add some levity to the tension.

"What good could have possibly come out of this situation, Mr Peters?" Regina asked incredulously.

"You're here instead of with that cheating scumbag, Charles."

The two had differing interpretations of the statement. Paul had figured that Emma must have told Regina how she felt about her, and the brunette had chosen her over the asshole. Regina had quite a different thought process. Between the accident itself and the events that followed, she hadn't had much chance to contemplate what had happened earlier. Emma had defended her, she had helped her, but Regina did what she always does and pushed her away. Then there was the kiss which had come out of nowhere but had felt like it was inevitable. Instead of grabbing Emma and kissing her back like her insides were screaming for her to do, Regina did nothing. She had let the blonde walk away feeling horrified at her actions. A realisation hit Regina and her heart sank - it was entirely her fault that Emma was in this state.

A door bursting open and a gowned Doctor approaching disrupted Regina's spiralling thoughts. "Emma's through here if you want to come with me." The doctor said as they followed her to a small room where Emma lay motionless. Her head was wrapped in a white gauze and tubes were coming from her arms, nose and mouth. There were machines beeping and pumping, and an endless number of wires coming from the bed and its occupant. Regina and Paul looked on silently as they took in the sight. "The accident had caused a brain bleed, which resulted in some significant swelling. Doctor White performed emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on her brain. Emma also had some internal bleeding which required us to carry out a partial splenectomy. She has several fractures in her left leg which will require further surgery, but she needs a chance to recover a little first." The doctor reeled off the information to the pair who were having a hard time grasping everything that was being said.

"When will she wake up?" Paul asked, the first to snap back to reality.

"Emma's currently in a coma. Sometimes this happens in patients who experience a traumatic brain injury in order fo the brain to protect itself from further damage, and allow her time to recover." The pair looked on shell-shocked at the doctor's blunt delivery of the information. With a forced smile, she added, "She will wake up when she's ready." With a nod, the Doctor shuffled out of the room leaving Paul and Regina to mull over the information. Paul shook his head, trying to come to terms with what was happening. He walked over to Emma and took one of her hands; sitting down next to her without saying a word.

Regina looked on with a neutral expression which was at odds with what she felt inside. She didn't dare go any closer to the bed. Even in this new land, a path of destruction followed Regina whenever her heart was involved. She decided it would be best if she kept her distance before she could do any more harm. Struggling to come to terms with the sight of blonde Regina said, "Mr Peters, I think I will head home now and inform Mable and Henry of what has happened." Swiftly she departed the room and let out a shuddery breath, trying her best to keep her torrent of emotions in check.

xxxxxxx

"We stayed at the hospital the rest of the night. Regina went to tell Henry and Gran what had happened once you were out of surgery." Paul stated.

"You stayed with me? Really? Both of you?" Emma inquired in awe as she looked between the other two. She had assumed that once she'd been brought to the hospital, Regina would have left; she was under no obligation to stay. Paul had even come especially to be with her.

Paul furrowed his brow in confusion at Emma's astonishment. "Of course, we did, Ems. Why wouldn't we?"

"I guess I'm not used having people in my life who would." She smiled warmly as she looked at the people sitting at her bedside. Her son, who was still glued to her side. Paul, who she was fortunate to have back in her life; she didn't know how she would be able to repay him and his grandmother for looking after her son. And Regina- this mysterious brunette, who slotted into their lives like the piece of a puzzle she hadn't realised was missing.

"Well, you have got people now, Miss Swan," Regina said with a smile.

"Yes. Yes, I have."


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Next chapter guys. This one's a nice fluffy one, which was much needed after all the drama of the last few.

FYI I'm a big Harry Potter fan so this chapter's inclusion was inevitable. Even more so in light of the sad passing of the amazing Alan Rickman. (RIP)

Thanks again reading and your support.

Hope you enjoy!

* * *

After a week of being observed, tested and starting her physiotherapy programme, Emma was given the all-clear and allowed to return home. Her memories of the night of the accident still hadn't returned to her. But considering she was drunk enough to get knocked down in the first place, she wasn't entirely sure whether that was alcohol related or traumatic memory loss - possibly a mixture both.

Henry was in school, and Paul was at work, so Regina had come to the hospital to accompany her home. A short journey later and the pair were in the elevator making their way back to Emma's apartment. Emma was propped up by a crutch and Regina carried a small case which contained the blonde's items from the hospital. As the elevator began its ascent, they continued their conversation from the taxi ride.

"I can't believe you don't even have a cell phone. How do you function?" Emma asked an immaculately dressed Regina, who looked like she was about to attend a work conference in her grey blazer and pencil skirt.

"I have managed perfectly well without one up to now. I don't foresee that changing."

"How about a computer? Or a tablet or something?" Emma hadn't realised there were people out there who still didn't use modern technology. Well, except for some elderly people and the Amish. Perhaps some hipsters who only believed in using pen and paper to communicate if that was a thing. Or maybe those steampunk types with the goggles and the leather, or was that just a clothing choice? What was her point again? Oh yes, there were people who didn't use cell phones; but Regina didn't strike her as one of them. In her outfit, you would have presumed she'd have a blackberry attached to her ear at all times.

"A tablet- as in paracetamol? I have found them to be useful I suppose." Regina said to a distracted Emma. "They are certainly more convenient for a headache than making your own herbal remedy."

"Huh? What? No…" Emma decided to gloss over the paracetamol comment. That was a whole other conversation, and her brain had just recovered from a traumatic event. There was only so much randomness she could handle at a time. "You know, like an iPad?" At the brunettes blank expression, Emma gave up on mimicking using one of the devices; she obviously wasn't grasping the concept. "Never mind, I'll show you later."

The elevator doors opening on the third floor brought the line of conversation to an end. The pair walked, or hobbled in Emma's case, down the hall until they arrived at the door marked 311.

Emma dreaded to think what sort of state her apartment would be in when she returned. Henry had a habit of leaving his stuff all over the place, and she couldn't imagine Paul being much of a disciplinarian. Or much of a cleaner for that matter. She braced herself for the pile of empty takeaway boxes, haphazardly discarded laundry and numerous comic books she fully anticipated to see on the other side of the door. However, she was pleasantly surprised to find not an item out of place. The only changes were the strings of fairy lights hanging in the window and a few other Christmas decorations placed around the room. Emma smiled happily as she took in the sight, this was unexpected. The sense of bliss soon morphed into a slack jaw as a realisation dawned upon her.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked upon observing the sudden change in Emma's demeanour.

"Shit, shit, shit… stupid bloody coma." Emma began to rant to herself, attempting but failing to pace around the room. Regina looked on nonplussed as the blonde continued her rambling. "I had totally forgotten about it with everything that's happened. How the hell am I going to get everything in time? Frigging shitty bollocky coma."

"How poetic, Miss Swan. You have quite the command of the English language," Regina said sarcastically. "Now, how about you try and speak a sentence without a profanity in it, which informs me of the problem. Or is that too difficult of a concept for you to grasp?"

Emma gave her an unamused look. She knew that wasn't the most eloquent speaker, but not everyone spoke like Regina, who often sounded like she'd stepped straight out of a period drama. Emma huffed and slumped onto her sofa, holding her head in her hands. "Christmas," was all she had to say.

"What about it?" Regina couldn't escape the tradition of this land. In the past weeks, there had been Christmas music playing incessantly in every store, and a plethora of decorations and other festive paraphernalia everywhere she went. From her understanding, it was supposed to be a religious festival. But unless it involved worshipping the obese, bearded man in a red suit, Regina couldn't fathom what the origin of the occasion was.

"There are less than two weeks until Christmas Day, and I have zero presents for Henry or anyone else. I have no idea how I'm supposed to get them when I can barely walk without my crutch. We don't have a tree and I haven't ordered a turkey for dinner…" Emma let out a sigh and closed her eyes to try and block out the overwhelming situation. "Arghh, it's making my head hurt just thinking about how much I need to do."

"Perhaps I can help," Regina suggested. "If you give me a list of what you require. I will arrange for it to be delivered to you this week." She would be having her weekly visit to her personal shopper the following day. So Regina would be able to acquire whatever Emma needed fairly easily.

"No, I couldn't ask you to do that. I'll manage, but thanks anyway."

"It wouldn't be a problem, Miss Swan. If it's for Henry, I would only be too happy to help."

"Yeah, right, for Henry."

xxxxxxx

When the weekend arrived, Emma and Henry decided to spend it in their pyjamas eating junk food, decorating their Christmas tree and having a movie marathon. Henry's soccer practice had taken a break for the holidays and Emma hadn't yet returned to work. So, they could just relax and spend some much needed time together.

"Okay, Kid. Star Wars or Harry Potter?" Emma asked her son who was making their popcorn ready for their breakfast showing of the first film of the day. "Your choice."

"Ooh, that's a tough one….Star Wars" Emma went to get the DVD's ready before a shout came from behind her. "No, wait, Harry Potter. Definitely Harry Potter," Henry said with a serious expression.

Emma smirked as she stood with her arms folded over her comfortable flannel pyjamas. "Are you sure, Kid? It's important you get this right; there's a lot resting on this decision."

Henry thought about it for a few seconds, mentally weighing up the options, "Harry Potter- final answer."

The blonde nodded her approval "Good choice, Kid. Now you hurry up with the popcorn, and I'll get the film set up."

xxxxxxx

"I'll get it," Henry said as he bounded towards the door. They'd watched the first of the eight film series and were already on their second bowl of popcorn. "Hey, Regina. You wanna come in?" Emma turned from her place on the sofa to see the brunette enter with a white oven dish.

"Hi," Emma said with a smile which was returned by the other woman.

"I've brought you some lasagna," Regina said somewhat awkwardly. "I had plenty to spare, and I thought you may like some."

"We'd love some, thanks. I am not even going to pretend that I was planning on cooking anything today. Unless making popcorn counts."

"It doesn't count, and you haven't even made it, Ma." Henry interrupted the exchange as he hurled himself over the top of the sofa, landing heavily.

"Yeah, well I might have at some point," his Mother replied, nudging him with her foot which gained a laugh from her son.

Looking slightly uncomfortable, as though she was unsure what to do with herself Regina said. "I'll just leave this here for you then." She placed the dish on the kitchen counter and shifted in place, looking towards to door ready to make her exit.

"You are welcome to join us" Emma quickly chimed in before the brunette could say anything about leaving. She grabbed the popcorn by the handful and started ramming it in her mouth again. "Unless you have somewhere else to be."

"I wouldn't want to impose on you and Henry's day together."

"If I thought you were going to impose on us, I wouldn't have asked," Emma stated matter of factly after swallowing what she had in her mouth.

The brunette mulled it over and observed the relaxed mother and son who shared matching welcoming smiles. "Well, I have no other plans for the day. So I suppose I could stay," she said with a shrug.

"Nice to see that you're so enthusiastic about it," Emma said sarcastically with an eye roll. Regina responded with an eyebrow raise.

"Regina, you'll need to get changed first," Henry added before she could take a seat. She looked down at her outfit in confusion.

"Yes, you're right Henry," Emma said with pursed lips and a shake of her head as she eyed the woman from head to toe. "This won't do." Regina couldn't comprehend what was wrong with her clothing. She wore a dark grey silk shirt and black pants with heels. It was more than acceptable attire.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why there's a problem with what I'm wearing."

The mother and son on the sofa were doing their best to suppress the giggles that were trying to escape. Pulling herself together, Emma came up with an idea. "Let me get you something more suitable- follow me," She said, getting up and limping to her bedroom.

She rummaged through her wardrobe and drawers until she found what she was looking for. "Here, put these on," Emma said as she threw the clothing at the horrified woman, trying to hold back a grin.

"Miss Swan, this is entirely inappropriate. I am not going to wear these…these…" Emma folded her arms and leant casually against her chest of drawers with a smirk on her face.

"Clothes, I think the word you're looking for is clothes, Regina."

"I am wearing clothes."The brunette stated, gesturing to her perfectly nice outfit. She held the items in her hands at arms length with a look of disgust on her face. "These are rags at best."

"Hey, I love that hoodie. You should feel honoured I'm allowing you the wear it," the blonde said in mock offence. "Look, it's either those or a tank top and boxers. Your pick." Emma shrugged her shoulders. If Regina was going to binge watch movies with the Swan's she would have to dress the part- no exceptions. Begrudgingly, Regina began to unbutton her shirt. Emma, who hadn't realised she was staring, was brought back to reality by the clearing of a throat.

"Miss Swan," the brunette said as she raised an eyebrow. Emma looked dumbstruck for a moment, not quite grasping what the issue was. The other woman tilted her head toward the door the help clarify.

"Oh right, sorry, I'll just…" she pointed with her thumb toward the exit and excused herself to allow the other woman to change into the hoodie and leggings. _Seriously Swan, get a fucking grip._ The blonde berated herself as she shook her head to get rid of the images from her mind of the other woman in varying degrees of undress.

xxxxxxx

"Have you seen Harry Potter before, Regina?" Henry asked the brunette, who shook her head. She was now sat on the sofa with Henry while Emma lounged across an armchair with a bowl of popcorn resting on her stomach. "Read the books?"

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of him."

"Wow, you must be like the only person in the world who hasn't heard of Harry Potter," Henry said in astonishment.

"I think that's an exaggeration, Henry," Regina replied, although who was she to say? Perhaps she was for all she knew.

"Maybe not the world, but definitely the only person in America- that's a fact," the boy said with certainty.

Emma bit her lip, trying not to laugh. "Yup, I just googled it. According to Wikipedia, every other person in America has heard of Harry Potter. So, it's pretty much official." She said as she pretended to type on her phone."As everyone knows- if Wikipedia says it, then it must be true." The brunette looked between mother and son trying to decipher the seriousness of what they were saying. Henry's expression was one of 'I told you so'. Emma however, grinned and gave her a wink. She took it as a sign that this was all in jest. She could play along with it.

"If that's the case then you will have to inform me of everything there is to know."

"Don't worry, I've read all the books, and seen the films at least twice," Henry said with pride. "I'm pretty much an expert."

Before they were allowed to watch the next film, Henry gave Regina a thorough recount of the first one and some background knowledge of the magical world of Harry Potter. Regina listened, amused at the boy's excitement and animated telling of the story. Once he was finished and made sure that Regina was sufficiently knowable on the story so far, the three began watching the movie.

"They need to use wands to produce magic?" Regina asked as she watched the child wizards cast spells. Henry nodded, eyes still glued to the screen, absentmindedly eating from a bag of candy. "Well, that is highly ineffective. I really don't see the point in them. It would be much more convenient to be able to perform magic without one." She stated with certainty. Being required to use such an object as a vessel for her magic would have been very bothersome and could have quite easily left her vulnerable to attack.

Henry paused the film and looked at her in outrage, "How can you think that? Wands are super cool."

"How could a wizard fight or protect themselves if their wand had been stolen or had broke?" Regina said logically.

"They would buy another one," the boy replied as if it were obvious.

"In the middle of a battle, or while being held captive?"

"They'd steal someone else's. It wouldn't work as well as their own wand, but it would still produce magic." Henry said with a bit less conviction. He was running out of valid arguments.

"Wouldn't the ability to produce a fireball from the palm of the hand be a much more suitable way of defending one's self? And still - super cool - as you put it."

Emma watched on in amusement as the pair debated the logistics of magic. She was pleasantly surprised that the usually serious brunette was getting into such a ridiculous debate with a twelve-year-old in the first place. "She has a point there, Kid. I think I'm with Regina on this one." Emma said with a chuckle.

"Fine, you can have the wand thing," Henry said with a huff as he pouted at his loss of the argument. He couldn't believe his mother hadn't sided with him. "But I won't budge on the epicness of Quidditch." He turned the film back on and ignored the adults amused grins.

They continued to watch in silence for the most part; there was some crunching of potato chips and popcorn, mainly from Emma (Regina had turned down the offer of the snacks- neither food had looked especially appealing). And the occasional comment that was passed; Emma had been particularly impressed by one of Regina's observations.

"Do you realise that the statue outside Dumbledore's office is a Griffin?"

"Really?" Emma said. The brunette nodded in confirmation. "So, it's literally a griffin door. Wow, that's kinda amazing."

"It is a rather clever play on words." Regina agreed.

"Psshh" the blonde had let out the noise with accompanying hand gestures, "Mind blown." At the sight of two unamused faces, Emma realised her mistake; she had just recovered from a severe head injury. "Too soon?" Tact had never really been one of her strong points.

xxxxxxx

After watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and all agreeing with Henry on his stance about Quidditch, they had decided it was time to have some dinner.

"Oh my God, Regina. This is amazing." Emma said as she shovelled more food into her mouth. She was already on her second portion of lasagna, despite having insisted that she wasn't hungry due to the amount of junk food she'd eaten.

"Thank you, Miss Swan. I have been learning how to cook over the past few weeks, and this is one of the few dishes I've managed to produce to an acceptable standard," Regina replied. She felt a small sense of accomplishment upon receiving such praise for her cooking. She found she quite enjoyed the activity, but cooking meals for one didn't bring the same pleasure as seeing others enjoy something she'd produced.

"This is more than acceptable." The blonde said, putting her fork down only long enough to speak. "You know if you ever need a taste tester, I'd be happy to volunteer my services."

"Me too," Henry eagerly chipped in.

"I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Regina replied with a laugh.

The three ate their meal and chatted happily about their week, the upcoming holidays and their favourite parts of the films so far.

"Ma, which house do you think you'd be in?" Henry asked already knowing her answer.

"Gryffindor… duh," Emma said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes as she leant back in her chair. "I may as well be wearing red and yellow Quidditch robes and carrying the sword of Gryffindor. I'm basically the female Harry Potter, minus the glasses- I've had laser eye surgery."

"Pfft. If anyone here is Harry, it's obviously me." He replied. With a playful grin, he added, "Just face it Ma. You're a Hufflepuff."

"Excuse me? A Hufflepuff? Have you seen me? I am the embodiment of what it means to be a Gryffindor." The blonde feigned horror at the statement. Then, jokingly she added. "You, Henry Swan, are a Slytherin if ever I've seen one."

Regina looked between the duo in bemusement. "What's wrong with being a Hufflepuff? I thought that Slytherins were the villains."

"They're just a bit - Meh," Emma answered with a shrug. "Nobodies interested in the Hufflepuffs. Well, expect for Cedric Diggory, but that's only 'cause he's a hot vampire."

Wizards, vampires- this was all very confusing for the brunette. "You've lost me."

"He's in Twilight." the other woman clarified. Although, it did little to help Regina's understanding. "You know the one with the shiny vampires and the werewolves and lot's of teen angst?" The brunette gave her a blank stare and a shake of her head. "You've not heard of Twilight either. Sheesh Regina, you need an education in popular culture."

Regina shrugged and placed her cutlery on her now empty plate. "If you say so."

Getting back to the previous topic of conversation, Henry asked. "How about you, Regina? Which house do you think you'd be in?"

"I don't know," _Slytherin, definitely Slytherin._ "What do you think?"

The boy didn't take long to decide on his answer. "I think you'd be a Ravenclaw."

That was a surprise to her. "Really?"

"Yeah, they're smart and think logically about stuff," Henry said, justifying his choice. "Gryffindors might be brave, but they act before they think."

"Agreed," Emma said as she swallowed her last bite of lasagna and gesticulated with her fork. "Only a Ravenclaw would see the flaws in using wands for magic." Emma chuckled to herself as she thought about the earlier debate and grabbed her next helping of food.

Regina watched the other women as she tucked into her meal again. She furrowed her brow and contemplated how the blonde could eat so much and keep her trim physique. Before she could get too distracted with her wandering thoughts, she turned to Henry. "So, I'm not a Slytherin then?"

Henry was adamant in his disagreement. "No way, only the bad guys are Slytherins." _Ah, yes the bad guys_. It was exactly as she'd thought; she was a Slytherin. The boy would soon change his mind if he knew the truth.

"Well expect for…"

Henry cut in with an incredulous expression before his mother could finish her sentence. "Ma, spoilers! Regina hasn't seen it yet; you'll ruin the ending."

"Sorry, I didn't think." Emma pretended to zip up her lips and throw away the key.

Once they'd all finished their dinner, Emma stood up, picked up the plates and walked to the kitchen. Regina joined her at the counter with the empty glasses. Emma checked to make sure Henry was out of earshot before speaking in hushed tones as she loaded the dishwasher."My gifts and the tree were delivered yesterday by the way. Thanks again for sorting it out for me. I was having a bit of a panic attack at the thought of trying to get everything done in time for Christmas."

"I already assured you that it wasn't a problem. I just gave the list to April, and she arranged the rest." Regina hadn't needed to do much and was happy to offer her assistance to the other woman. Although, it did little to relieve the guilt she still felt about her involvement in Emma's accident.

"April? Who's April?" Emma queried, an unexpected pang of emotion was bubbling in her gut. "Is she a friend of yours?"

"Of sorts," Regina replied with a wistful smile. She was thinking of how much she loved shopping for clothing in this world. Her weekly trip to the department store was one of the best aspects of this land. She had bought so many new outfits, she'd yet to wear the same one twice. "I suppose one could say that we've gotten to know one another quite well recently."

The blonde eyed the other woman closely. Misinterpreting her words and happy expression, she made the presumption that whoever April was, she more to Regina than a personal shopper. "Oh, I see…good for you," Emma said more harshly than she'd intended. Regina didn't pick up on the other woman's subtle change in demeanour as the blonde busied herself with putting away the leftovers a little too aggressively.

xxxxxxx

They spent the next hour or so decorating the Christmas tree. Henry handled the task with military precision, reprimanding his Mother's lack of colour coordination and shoddy tinsel placement when necessary- therefore, quite often. Once the tree was up and the fairy lights were on, the room looked decidedly more festive. He took plenty of photographs of the three of them while they decorated. It could be guaranteed that Henry would have his camera close to hand; it was always in his backpack or hanging around his neck.

"We should have a Christmas film marathon next weekend," Henry suggested eagerly.

Emma nodded in agreement with the idea, "Sounds good to me, Kid. You in Regina?"

Regina's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the ease of her inclusion in the families plans. She could get too comfortable with the feeling of belonging here, and she knew from experience that good things didn't tend to last. "Perhaps. I will have to see if I have other plans first." She had no other plans, her life currently revolved around little more than the two people in the room with her.

"''Kay, well, the offer still stands. So you know you're welcome to join us if your other plans don't pan out." Emma responded curtly. She had interpreted 'plans' as time with April, Regina's - whatever she was. Regina furrowed her brow; she didn't miss the change in attitude this time. However, she had no idea what she had done to offend the other woman.

"Yes, well, I appreciate the invite." Both women stood facing one another. They stared silently with their arms folded- neither willing to be the first to back down. Henry looked between them both, he couldn't understand the sudden tension between the two woman. And if they were honest, neither could they.

"Um, are we gonna watch the next film now?"

"Huh?"

"Pardon?" Emma and Regina responded simultaneously to the boy, breaking their prolonged eye contact.

"Are we gonna watch the Order of the Pheonix now?"

"Right, yeah we'll watch one more tonight," Emma replied as she went to get the next DVD ready "It'll be getting late by the time it finishes, so we'll have to see the rest of them tomorrow."

Regina retook her place on the sofa while she awaited the start of the next movie. She was actually quite enjoying them- she thought that she may even be tempted read the novels at some point. This time, Henry slumped into the armchair, leaving the seat next to her empty for his mother. Emma fell onto the sofa and grabbed what was left of the potato chips.

"You can't still be hungry, Miss Swan. You've eaten enough to feed a small nation." The brunette looked on in disbelief.

Emma shrugged, she couldn't help it that she had a big appetite. "It's not a choice, Regina. I need to eat. I have a fast metabolism, and I require the nutrients." Regina hummed sceptically, not believing a word of it. She was certain that there was nothing nutritional about those orange chips.

xxxxxxxx

As the film progressed, Regina could feel herself growing more and more weary. Her eyes were getting heavy, and she was going her best to suppress a yawn. That was until Henry began yawning which meant she couldn't hold it back any longer. As she blinked to keep herself awake until the movie finished, she felt a weight on her shoulder. Emma was fast asleep with her legs curled up next to her on the sofa. She looked relaxed and let out quiet, contented breaths. Regina smiled a little at the sight. After a few minutes, the blonde shifted in her sleep and wrapped her arm around the brunette. Regina let out a gasp as her heart began to beat faster in panic.

Was it panic she was feeling? Should she wake the other woman? Should she try to free herself? Her mind reeled with questions as her eyes flitted over to Henry, who was also sound asleep. "Miss Swan?" She whispered, not wanting to startle her awake. The sleeping woman didn't budge. Leaning in closer, and tucking a blonde curl behind her ear, she tried again. "Emma?"

"Hmm" was the sleepy response. She held on tighter and didn't open her eyes.

"Can you let me go? It's late, and I should be leaving."

"Nah…'m comfy…stay here." Emma shifted enough to allow Regina to place her own legs on the sofa. She tried her best to get out of the blonde's hold, but the more she moved the tighter the woman held on. She was deceptively strong, which was almost comforting to Regina- she felt safe. Relenting rather easier than she'd anticipated, she tucked her feet in front of Emma's body. Then grabbed the blanket from the back of the sofa, placing it over them both and almost instantly fell asleep.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: Another new chapter for you guys. I'm feeling super motivated to write at the moment. So I'm ploughing through the story before my little writer's bubble bursts.

Another fluffy one with a bit of humour.

Thanks again for reading. Enjoy!

* * *

"SNOW!"

Regina awoke with a start at the loud exclamation. Sitting bolt upright with wide eyes and a blank expression, she didn't even notice the other women she had pushed to the floor in her daze.

"What the hell?" A confused Emma said with a frown, rubbing her sore hip. She wasn't fully awake yet. She looked around the room trying to understand why she was sprawled across her living room floor. Scrunching up her eyes and yawning, she pushed herself to her feet. Once she was upright and relatively aware of her surroundings, Emma noticed the stricken brunette who was sitting on her sofa, frozen to the spot. "Morning," Emma said awkwardly, scratching her head as she thought of the position they must have spent the previous night in. Emma knew she had a habit of snuggling while she slept. This wasn't something that she wanted to be made public knowledge. She had a certain image that she liked to maintain, and wrapping herself around someone like a koala bear didn't do much to uphold it. "We must have fallen asleep during the film." Regina didn't move. She didn't speak. The blonde was sure she must have done something to upset the other woman. _Oh shit, I probably felt her up or something. No wonder she looks so horrified._ "I know I can get a bit handsy in my sleep. So, sorry about that." The other woman didn't flinch. She didn't even acknowledge Emma's presence. Emma frowned and mumbled, "Not a morning person, huh?" She wasn't prepared to continue the one-sided conversation any longer. So instead, made her way to the kitchen and called over her shoulder. "I'll just go make us some coffee then."

Regina was vaguely aware of the blonde's presence, but she was too distracted to respond to it. Her mind was busy whirring with other, less pleasant thoughts. Thoughts of a wretched raven haired girl who just couldn't help but meddle in her life. And just as she was starting to become comfortable in her new land. Regina should have known that it wasn't meant to last. She shouldn't have allowed herself to get so settled, and dare she say it- happy.

"SNOW!"

Pulling herself from her musings, Regina stood and tried her best to get herself into to a more presentable state. Smoothing down her slightly tangled hair and straightening the less than imposing outfit she wore, she took up an intimidating stance. However, with a grey hoodie, leggings and bare feet; she didn't quite have the same impact she once did as the Evil Queen.

"Where?" She snarled, clenching her teeth and loosening her shoulders. _If Snow White thought for one second that I'd leave without a fight, she has another thing coming._ Regina wasn't afraid to use her fists if need be.

"Outside. It's snowing," Henry said excitedly as he ran out of his bedroom wearing a hat and scarf. "Where are my boots?"

Regina looked on agog. It was snow, as in the cold form of precipitation. It was evident now that she'd had the chance to consider it. Of course it wasn't Snow White. She was being irrational to even jump to such a conclusion. The brunette visibly relaxed. However, she found it a little disconcerting how much she had been unsettled by the prospect of losing her life in this new land. Or perhaps it was just the idea of seeing or former step-daughter again that had her on edge. Either way, it was something for her to ponder.

"Woah! Hold on Young Man. You are not going outside dressed like that." Emma said with an amused grin as Henry ran from room to room hunting for his shoes. She loved snow as much as the next person, but spiderman pyjamas weren't the most appropriate clothing choice for the weather. "You need breakfast first anyway."

"Ma-a. Please." Henry drawled. At the unwavering look on his mother's face, he soon relented. He knew when not to push her too far. The boy hunched his shoulders and threw his scarf and hat on the sofa. "Fine, breakfast first. Then can I go play in the snow?"

"Only if I can too." Emma laughed.

"Deal!" Henry held out his hand for his mother to shake on it.

"Miss Swan, you are an overgrown child," Regina said as she joined the pair at the kitchen counter. She had changed back into her own outfit from the day before and was decidedly more cheery than a few minutes prior.

"Good morning to you too." Emma grinned and handed her a mug, which she took gratefully. "I didn't know if you took sugar." Regina sipped the drink- it was passable.

"It's fine. Thank you."

"Morning Regina. Do You want Pancakes? Ma's making some." Henry smirked, knowing full well that his mother had said no such thing. But if he was being forced to eat breakfast instead of having snowball fights, there'd better be some pancakes involved.

"Since when?" Emma looked at him knowingly. "I didn't mention anything about making Pancakes."

"Well, Regina wants them and she's a guest. So…" He shrugged his shoulders, knowing that his argument was won. His mother was way too easy to manipulate sometimes. The brunette remained silent but hid her smile behind her coffee mug. Emma rolled her eyes at her son and sighed dramatically.

"Fine, pancakes it is."

Emma took this an opportunity to show off her cooking own skills, which mainly revolved around breakfast food. Namely: pancakes, omelettes, anything that could be tossed in a frying pan and cereal- which totally counted if you asked her. (Toast did not make the list, Emma Swan and toasters were not a good combination- but that's a whole other story). Once she managed to make enough pancakes for three people, or for eight if it were any other household, they sat around the dining table and ate their breakfast together.

Emma made her way through a stack of pancakes with syrup and whipped cream. Followed by a bowl of cocoa pops, a bear claw and a banana. She also received several looks of mortification from the brunette at the amount of food she'd consumed. But the blonde didn't let that get in the way of her eating pleasure.

Regina had a more respectable portion of pancakes, which she found pleasant enough. They would have been even better with an apple puree or sauce of some kind. She made a mental note to practice making some for herself.

At one point, in his eagerness to get outside, Henry had eaten his breakfast so quickly that he almost choked. His mother gave him a firm slap on the back during his coughing fit, and a telling off for not chewing his food properly.

"Okay, I'm finished. Can I go outside now" Henry gave his mother his best puppy-dog eyes, "Ple-ease."

"Get washed and dressed and you can go."

"Yess" He fist pumped the air and ran off to the bathroom.

"And remember your coat and gloves," Emma shouted after him.

"'Kay" was the distant reply.

Emma cleared away the plates and grabbed her coffee. She hopped up onto the kitchen counter and sat regarding the other woman who was now getting up from the dining table. Neither woman had spoken about what had happened the previous night- well, other than Emma's failed attempt at a conversation first thing that morning. And neither had felt particularly compelled to bring it up over the breakfast table. But now they were alone, they couldn't get it out of their minds. Regina began shuffling from one foot to the other. It was was very unlike her; she didn't shuffle, she glided effortlessly and with purpose. Emma fidgeted with her mug, twisting it in her hands and staring very intently at its contents. After little too long of an awkward silence, one of them spoke up.

"I'm going to leave now. I will bring back your clothing once it has been laundered. Thank you for breakfast, Miss Swan."

Emma looked up from whatever was so interesting in her mug and gave the other woman a lopsided smile. "No problem. We should do it again sometime." At Regina's non-response she continued to talk. "I mean hang out and eat food." Emma seemed to have developed a habit of babbling around the brunette whenever she felt uncomfortable. She couldn't understand it; she never acted like this around anyone else. It was as if the connection between her brain and mouth had short-circuited. "With Henry- eat food and hang out with Henry. He would be there too, not just the two of us. Unless you wanted it to be the two of us? That would be an equally good hang out situation." The brunette narrowed her eyes at Emma as she ploughed on with her chatter. "Or not, I'm easy either way. Light and breezy, that's me." The blonde gave an almost indiscernible wince as she came to the end of her sentence. She tried to mask it with a smile; a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes and couldn't hide the awkwardness she felt. _Emma, be cool. Stop acting like a bloody idiot. What the fuck is wrong with you?_

"Yes, light and breezy," Regina said as she bit her lip, trying to stop the laugh that was desperate to escape. The sight of the uncomfortable blonde, who was anything but light and breezy, was enough to ease the tension she'd felt. Emma let out a stilted laugh and jumped down off the counter.

"Arghh, shit. I forgot about my leg for a sec." She rubbed her calf and thigh, which were now throbbing. She began to stretch out her leg, doing lunges and bending over at the waist. Regina watched on intently. "You couldn't do me a favour, could you?" Emma said from her bent position as she touched her toes. Regina distractedly hummed her agreement. The blonde slowly unfurled herself to a vertical position and started unbuttoning her pyjama top. Regina's eyes darted down the watch the blonde's hands, "Miss Swan, what are you doing?" she gulped; she tried to sound outraged, but the slight quiver in her voice gave her away.

xxxxxxx

"Oh fuck…yes…right there…" Emma let out a moan.

"Should we try a different position?"

"No, no…this is good…harder, Regina."

"How much longer is this going to take?" Regina asked breathlessly.

"I'm almost done."

xxxxxx

"Ma…Regina…What are you two doing?"

"My leg started cramping," Emma said as she lay sprawled on the living room floor in her tank top and boxers. Her left leg was being pushed towards her chest by the other woman.

"Okay, I'm just gonna leave you guys to it," Henry said as he wrapped his scarf around his neck and put his hat on his head. "I'm off outside."

"Wait, I thought you said I could come too." The indignant blonde sat up and rested on her elbow. Regina let go of her leg and raised an eyebrow at the outraged woman.

"You were being serious?" Henry laughed. "I thought you were just saying that as a joke or something."

"Uh no. I was deadly serious."

"Well, hurry up then," the boy huffed; he'd waited long enough already.

"Gimme two minutes to get changed." Emma got up from the floor and grabbed her discarded pyjamas. She looked up and gave the other woman a smile. "Oh, and thanks for your help, Regina."

Henry chatted with Regina while he waited for his mother to get ready. It only took a couple of minutes for the woman to emerge in a thick flannel shirt, jeans and boots. She finished the outfit with a knitted hat, scarf and gloves. And of course, her red leather jacket. She was now fully prepared to face the cold.

"I'm going to head back my apartment so you children can have fun in the snow," Regina said with a smirk. It was hard to tell which of the Swan's were more excited at the prospect of playing outside.

"You should come with us," Henry said.

"You know you want to." His mother added.

"I really don't think I do."

"We can build a Snowman." Henry suggested, but Regina remained impassive

"Make snow angels" Emma tried, who'd say no to snow angles?

Evidently, Regina would.

Henry remembered his favourite thing to do in the snow. This was bound to convince the woman. "We could go sledding," he said with an eager grin.

"Or have a snowball fight," Emma said, which gained a high five from her son.

"This is sounding less and less appealing by the second."

"Come on, it will be so much fun." Henry made one last ditch attempt. He was pulling out the big guns- his puppy dog eyes. He even paired it with a chin quiver for added effect. "Please."

"Yeah, Regina. So much fun." The brunette watched as the pair gave her matching pleading expressions. It was almost comical.

"Fine, I will be down soon." She relented with a chuckle. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to partake in any of your foolishness." Both Swan's nodded, and grinned in response.

xxxxxxx

Once Regina had changed into more appropriate attire, she headed downstairs to the small yard outside the apartment building. She could hear the peals of laughter and shouts of delight before she could see either Henry or Emma. Quietly, she opened the door and watched the mother and son playing happily in the snow. They were both laughing as they lay on their backs next to one another, moving their arms and legs. Why had she agreed to this again?

Luckily for her, she hadn't been spotted and the duo were already moving on to their next activity.

"Okay, so'Il start rolling the body. You make the head." Emma instructed her son, who instantly began compacting the snow into a ball. Looking up, Emma spotted the brunette in the doorway. "Are you just gonna stand there staring? Or are you gonna help me?"

"I'm quite content to watch. You carry on with whatever it is you're doing."

"I was being rhetorical."

"I'm perfectly fine standing here regardless."

"Nope, nuh-uh. Unacceptable." Emma shook her head and bent down with a mischievous grin.

"What are you doing, Miss Swan?" Regina asked. Although, she had a pretty good idea what the blonde was up to. "You had better not be doing what I think you are." The other woman didn't answer, just began to pat the snow in her hands to form a ball. She straightened her legs and stalked closer to the brunette; the smirk never leaving her face. Regina held up her hands, but it wouldn't do much to protect her from the inevitable. "Emma, no. Stop it." She tried to give her best menacing stare, but it was ruined by the suppressed giggles that were causing her shoulders to shake and her lips to form into a curve.

"Snowball fight!" Emma shouted and threw the projectile directly at Regina's head.

The snowball fight quickly escalated into a full-blown war when several more children from the building decided to join them. A very one sided war which involved all the children versus Emma and Regina. The women were standing behind a wall taking a few moments to breathe and rethink their tactics. Peering around the corner, Emma came up with a new plan. "If we can get to that tree. We'll have more cover and a better angle to attack."

"Or we could just leave the children to play amongst themselves?" Regina suggested. Now that the adults were out of sight, the children were happily playing together. She was starting to think it was only the blonde who was still in the midst of battle.

"Never. I will not surrender."

"Fine." The brunette rolled her eyes and shook her head at the child-like stubbornness of the woman. Although it didn't take much for her to concede to her antics- Regina wasn't one to quit either. "But how do you propose we get there? We'll be completely exposed."

Emma turned back and leant against the wall, facing Regina. "Okay. Gimme a second to think." She closed her eyes to focus on formulating a plan. "Right, I've got it. I will head out first and cause a distraction. Then, I'll leg it in the opposite direction, and you can get behind the tree and take cover."

"And what about you? How will you get to the tree?"

"I dunno, I haven't thought that far ahead…Regina, what are you doing?" The brunette was walking out from their hiding place into open territory.

"You don't always have to be the saviour, Miss Swan," Regina said with a warm smile. "We'll do it together."

xxxxxxx

"We may have lost the battle, but we've won the war," Emma shouted in defiance, covered from head to toe in snow.

"Nope, pretty sure you lost the war too, Ma." Henry laughed.

"How come I'm the only one covered in snow? Regina was there too?"

"Yeah, but she didn't take it as seriously as you." The boy stated matter of factly. " Also, I'm pretty sure she joined our side at one point."

"What? You abandoned me?" The blonde said with disbelief and a slight pang of hurt.

"Don't be so dramatic. I simply got my revenge for the earlier snowball to my head." Regina dismissed the other woman with a smirk.

"I suppose all's fair in love and war," Emma said wistfully, then quickly amended her statement with wide-eyed realisation. "Or, just war in this case." They stood awkwardly for a moment. Emma found a really interesting patch of snow to look at and kick. Regina spotted a snow-covered branch in the tree that was rather fascinating.

"Are we gonna finish our snowman or what?" Henry asked, breaking the tension.

"Yes, absolutely" and "That's a wonderful idea." Were Emma and Regina's overly enthusiastic replies.

The trio built two snowmen - or one snowman and snow woman to be precise. Henry was busy looking for sticks to use as arms. Regina was using stones to make their faces, and Emma was dressing them in scarfs and hats.

"What's the difference between a snowman and a snow woman?" Emma asked.

Regina paused for a moment to think about her reply. "Presuming snow people have similar characteristics to humans, then I'd go with superior logic and the ability to multitask."

"Huh? No…Snowballs! Get it? Snowballs!"Emma chuckled to herself. Met by a blank face, she went back to wrapping a scarf around the snowman and added. "It was a joke. If you have to explain it, then it loses the funny."

"Well, it wasn't very amusing."

"Agree to disagree."

Henry came running over to the pair and threw his pile of sticks on the floor. His cheeks were flushed and he was slightly out of breath. "Ma, some of the boys are going sledding. Can I go?" He bobbed on the spot in anticipation of the answer.

"Sure Kid, but don't go too far. And keep your hat and scarf on."

"'Kay." He was already running toward the group of teenagers.

"And text me if you need me," Emma shouted after him. He didn't look back, just waved over his shoulder.

Emma finished off the snowmen by placing the sticks so it looked like they were holding hands. "There, perfect," She said with a satisfied smile. It began snowing again; thick, soft snowflakes that stay on your nose and eyelashes. Emma shivered, now that she had used half of her outwear to dress the snowmen she was getting cold.

"Miss Swan, you really should invest in a more weather appropriate coat," Regina said as she watched the blonde tremor. She walked over and stood directly in front of the other woman and began unwrapping her own scarf. "Here, put this on before you catch your death." Emma placed her hand on Regina's to stop her.

"I'm good. I've been colder." The blonde gave a sad smile that was laced with meaning, but Regina didn't pry. She just removed her scarf and placed it around Emma's neck, resting her hand on the other woman's shoulder.

"Thanks," Emma whispered as she looked into intense brown eyes. She reached up to wipe away the snowflake that had settled on Regina's cheek. "We should probably head back inside."

"Yes, we probably should," Regina responded, although neither woman attempted to move.

They didn't know how long they stood like this, getting lost in each others gaze. It was only to sound of Emma's pocket ringing that brought them out of their trance. The moment they'd shared was gone. Regina stepped back and wrapped her arms around herself and Emma fumbled in her pocket to get her cell.

"Hi…yeah sure thing. I'll pop in and see her now…yeah, see you soon. Bye." Emma put her phone away and spoke to Regina to inform her of the conversation. "That was Paul. He can't get over here with all the snow, so he asked if I'd go check on his Gran. You know, see if she needs anything."

"You should go to her then," Regina stated, getting her composure back.

"Yeah, I'm going now." Emma scratched her head and shifted on her feet. There was something she had been meaning to ask the other woman, and now was as good of a time as any to do it. "Um, I was just wondering what you were doing on Christmas Day?"

"Nothing in particular. Why?" Regina shrugged, it was just another day to her. She would undoubtedly spend it alone. Not that it mattered, it wasn't like she celebrated the holiday.

"Well, me and Henry are having dinner with Mable and Paul, and I was kinda thinking that if you had no other plans, you might like to come too?" The blonde gave a hopeful, but self-conscious smile. "No pressure either way." She didn't want the other woman to feel obliged to join them.

Regina was taken aback by the offer. Whilst she didn't mark the tradition, she knew that it was a special occasion in this land. One that was spent with family and loved ones. She felt honoured that she was being asked, and it would be rude to turn down such a generous invitation. "Yes, I would love too."

"Great." Emma's face lit up with a wide smile. "That's really good. I'll let you know more when I do." She decided she really ought to leave before she started babbling again, causing Regina to change her mind. "Right, I'd better go see Mable now. I'll tell her that she'll need to set another place at the table for Christmas Dinner." She began to walk backwards towards the door, tripping occasionally, but never losing her smile or taking her eyes off the other woman. "See you later then."

"Goodbye, Emma."

* * *

Additional A/N: Anyone spot the Sound of music reference and start singing? Just me? (I'm such a nerd sometimes).

Christmas antics next time to look forward to :)


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: The last chapter took this story to over 100 follows on FF and 100 kudos on AO3, which is all sorts of amazing. So, thank you muchly for your support. As special thanks and belated Christmas gift, here's a slightly longer chapter.

We'll get to see Regina's experience of the Christmas period and the day itself. We'll meet April for the first time (as will Emma). And there'll be some flirty baking, because why wouldn't there be?

* * *

In the build up to Christmas, Regina found that she couldn't help but get caught up in the festivities. She didn't go as far as decorating her home; that would have been too much frivolity for her liking. However, she had rushed out when she had received Emma's invitation to Christmas dinner in order to purchase gifts for her new friends. Was that the right word to describe the people in her life? Regina didn't have friends, but she supposed that it was the most accurate description she could come up with.

"Regina, I didn't think we had an appointment today."

"We didn't, but I'm in need of your assistance," Regina replied to April in a mild hysteria. She had hurried to see her personal shopper as soon as the snow had subsided enough to make travel a possibility. "I need to purchase a number of Christmas gifts, and I have no idea what I should get." She wasn't sure what would be deemed appropriate in this land, and she didn't want to provide an inadequate gift. That would have been highly embarrassing.

"Okay, you'll need to give me an hour or so to finish up here, and I'll be with you," April said. She had a few appointments already booked in, but she would happily make time for one of her most valued customers. "Why don't you have a browse through the store? Maybe you'll see something that'll give you a bit of inspiration."

Regina perused the items on the shelves as she thought of what she should purchase. Clothing would be a good choice. She prided herself on what she wore herself and was certain she could make acceptable choices for the others. Maybe that was a bit too generic, perhaps something a little more personal would be more appropriate. But nothing was coming to mind, it wasn't as if she had taken the time to get to know these people that well. This was going to be harder than she thought; luckily she was paying April to do the thinking for her.

After wandering around the store and seeing little to inspire her, she despondently walked back to the second floor where she waited until April finished with her customers.

"Regina, can you tell me a bit about the people you want gifts for? I need to get an idea of what they might like."

"I suppose so." Regina thought for a moment before starting. "Well, first of all, there's Henry. He's twelve-years-old, and he's very sweet if not a little stubborn." Regina said with a warm smile.

April had already heard the other woman mention the boy several times. She could tell that the brunette was very fond of him from the way her face lit up when she spoke. "What sorts of things does he enjoy doing?"

Regina considered what she knew about the boy from the time they'd spent together. "Well, he does like watching movies- particularly those with superheroes or Harry Potter."

"Anything else?"

"He plays soccer; at least, I think that's what it's called. It's some sort of ball game anyway. Apparently, he's a goalkeeper, if that means anything to you."

April nodded and thought of some potential options she could bring the woman. "Okay, I think I have a few things we can take a look at. Now who else is there?"

"His Mother, Emma." Regina didn't really know what she could say to describe the blonde, and she was by no means a woman of few words. "She's…quite something."

"You'll need to give me more than that?" April said with a chuckle. She had also heard this woman's name mentioned on more than one occasion. And had a feeling from the wistful look that the other woman possessed, she meant more to Regina than just being Henry's mother.

"Well, she like's food." It was the first thing that sprung to Regina's mind. From her experience with the blonde, consuming food seemed to be one of her favourite pastimes. "No- not likes, that isn't a strong enough word."

"So she enjoys cooking then." April surmised as she began making notes on potential gift ideas.

"No- she enjoys eating." Regina clarified with a fond laugh. "Emma's also quite funny in her own way. She's a good mother, and caring and strong and brave. She's…" The brunette trailed off with a contemplative expression.

"Quite something," April finished the sentence with a knowing smile.

xxxxxxx

It had taken a while, but Regina had eventually finished finding the perfect gifts for everyone- she had bought all the items which April had brought for Henry because she couldn't just choose one. As it was the end of April's shift, the two women, who had got to know each other quite well over the past weeks, decided to go to the diner opposite on their way home. It wasn't the first occasion the two had been for a coffee or a lunch together, and with their mutual love of clothing and the finer things in life, they had little difficulty in getting along with one another. In April, Regina felt like she found a kindred spirit.

As the two women chatted over coffee, a throat being cleared caught their attention. They both looked up from their places in the booth to find a blonde in a red leather jacket and knitted hat, smiling down at them awkwardly.

"I was on my way in, and I saw you sitting here. I thought I'd better say hi." Emma said as she shifted from foot to foot. "So…Hi." She raised her hand to wave but reconsidered halfway through the movement, tucking her hair behind her ear instead.

"Hello, Emma. Do you wish to join us?" Regina asked with a smile.

"Oh no. I wouldn't want to interrupt your- your..." The blonde looked at the two women who were smiling and had been chatting happily at the table before her intrusion. She didn't recognise the other woman, but she felt distinctly like a third wheel in the situation. "...This."

The woman sat opposite Regina gave Emma a friendly smile and a knowing look before offering her hand for her to shake. "So you are Emma, I've heard a lot about you. I'm April."

"April, right, of course. I've heard about you too." Emma replied with narrowed eyes and a smile that didn't reach quite reach them. So this is April. Of course it is. A hotter, younger, perkier blonde - no wonder I feel like the third wheel. She made a very hasty decision that she wasn't going to sit there and be the awkward, bumbling one; at that point, she couldn't even recall why she came into the diner in the first place. "I'll just go and leave you two to your coffee."

"You should stay with Regina. I'm meeting my husband in a few minutes, so I'm heading off anyway." April quickly added as she grabbed her coat and finished the last of her coffee. "It was nice to meet you, Emma. Regina- I'll see you at our next appointment. Have a good Christmas both of you."

"You too April. Thank you again for your help today."

"Anytime, that's what I'm paid for."

After watching the other woman depart and taking her place in the booth, Emma decided she needed a little clarification on things. Either Regina was having an affair with a married woman, or she had completely gotten the wrong end of the stick. "She seems nice. How do you know her again?" The blonde not so subtly shoe-horned into the conversation.

Regina narrowed her eyes while Emma tried and failed to look casual. "I thought I told you. She's my personal shopper."

"Oh…right. That makes sense." The blonde said with a slow nod as everything finally clicked into place.

"Why? Who did you think she was?"

Emma shrugged, attempting nonchalance with her reply. "Uh, I dunno. I hadn't thought too much about it."

"Hmm, really?" The brunette eyed the other woman with scepticism; she didn't believe her for a second.

"Yup, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it." Emma quickly stood and changed the subject before she could be questioned any further on the matter. "I'm gonna get a hot chocolate. You want anything?"

The brunette regarded the on edge woman with a raised eyebrow. She knew someone trying to deflect when she saw one but decided to let her off for now. "No, thank you." The blonde then made a hasty escape to the solitude of the pastry display.

xxxxxxxx

Regina eyed Emma as she leant casually against the counter. She couldn't quite understand her behaviour, but that was nothing new. It wasn't the first time she hadn't been able to read the woman. She was infuriating at times, but that was part of the appeal. Regina watched on as the blonde began chatting to a young waitress in an unnecessarily tight uniform. Emma was grinning as the younger woman leant in towards her and laughed. She pushed Emma playfully on the shoulder and winked, causing the blonde to chuckle. Regina turned back to her coffee; she didn't feel the need to watch that sort of behaviour any further.

A minute or so later, Emma slumped back down into the booth with two pastries. "I got you a bear claw too if you want it."

'No, I'm fine with my coffee." Regina refused the offer bluntly.

"Are you sure? Because they are delicious, and I can guarantee you that I won't ask another time," the blonde grinned and pushed the plate towards Regina. The brunette pushed it back without another word. "Fine you were warned." Emma took a large bite out of the pastry and wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Regina just rolled her eyes at the ill manners. "You know," Emma began with a splutter but waited to finish the food in her mouth before continuing the sentence. "One of these days you're gonna pull an eye muscle."

"You can be insufferable sometimes, do you know that?"

"Some say insufferable, I like to think of it as more of a lovable charm." The blonde replied, for which she received another eye roll.

xxxxxx

"Here you go, one hot chocolate." The young red-haired waitress said as she placed the mug on the table in front of Emma with a wide smile. "And here's your cinnamon - I know how you like it," She added with a wink.

"Thanks, Brie - you're a star."

Regina waited for the waitress to depart before addressing Emma tersely. "You two seem friendly."

Emma shrugged, still unaware of the brunette's change in demeanour since her return to the table. "I'm a regular here. So I know all the staff." She busied herself with sprinkling the cinnamon over the whipped cream on her drink and opening the wrapper of her complimentary cookie.

Regina raised an eyebrow and folded her arms. "And do you behave like that with all of them?"

"I don't know what you mean." The blonde replied obliviously as she dunked her cookie in the hot chocolate.

"That little display from both of you at the counter." The brunette stated curtly. Emma furrowed her brow, not understanding the issue. Regina huffed impatiently at the confused expression and non-answer from the blonde; standing up, she put on her coat with a shake of her head. "It doesn't matter. Who you chose to court is none of my concern." Picking up her bags from the floor, she made to leave the diner without hesitation, "Good day to you, Miss Swan."

Emma furrowed her brow further - Court? What the hell is she talking about? In her confusion, she didn't notice the brunette's absence until it was too late. Turning around to call after the hastily departing woman, she said. "Regina - wait. I think there's been a misunderstanding. Regina!" But it was no use, the other woman strode purposefully through the glass doors without looking back.

Emma sank down into her seat and grabbed her mug. She sipped it dejectedly as she pondered the turn of events. Then a flash of inspiration struck - I'm not imagining it, she was jealous, right? Emma sat up and puffed out her chest. She did a mini fist pump, before drinking the rest of her hot chocolate with a satisfied grin. Result!

xxxxxxx

Later that evening just as Regina was beginning to weigh out some ingredients for the pastry dough she was learning to make, there was a gentle tap on the door. She wiped her hands on her now flour-covered apron and sighed impatiently at the interruption. She had a good idea who was on the other side of the door, and she was in no mood to see them.

Regina answered it to find a fidgety, smiling blonde. "Hi."

"Miss Swan." the brunette said curtly with her hands resting on her hips.

"You can call me Emma you know? You have done it before."

"What is it you want, Miss Swan?" Regina asked pointedly. Emma rolled her eyes but the woman continued regardless. "I don't have the time nor patience for idle chit chat."

"I, uh, wanted to check you were alright." The blonde scratched her head and swung her foot so it was hitting the door frame repeatedly. "You left pretty quickly earlier and you seemed upset."

"I'm fine. Now if that's all…" Regina put her hand on the door ready to close it.

"You're still coming to Mable's for Christmas dinner, right?" Emma quickly asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Yes, I'll be there."

"Okay, good. I'll see you there then."

"Goodbye," she tried to close the door, but Emma's boot stopped it. Regina closed her eyes for a few seconds and did her best to remain calm. When she opened them, she found the blonde looking down at the floor and wringing her hands.

"Um, Regina." Emma brought her green eyes up to look at the brunette. "Just so you know, there's nothing going on between me and that waitress. I'm not dating anyone- well there was that one guy but I haven't seen him for like two months now so…"

"As I said earlier, that is none of my concern."

"Yeah, I just wanted to clarify the sitch." Emma waited a few moments for a reply. But when none came and the tension was becoming palpable, she gestured over her shoulder with her thumb and said. "Right, well, I'm gonna go. I'll see you next week." She walked a few steps backwards hoping to garner a response from the other woman but instead was faced with a green door.

xxxxxxx

The following week arrived without any further interaction between the two women. Henry had visited Regina and had excitedly informed her that his gift for her was ready. But he refused to give any indication as to what it was. He also tried to covertly gather intel on any potential presents for him that the brunette may know of, but Regina refused to give him any details.

When Christmas morning arrived, Regina awoke early in order to begin the preparations for the dessert she had promised Mable she would bring to dinner. Not long after she woke, and before she even had a chance to get changed out of her silk dressing gown, there was a knock at the door.

"Regina?…Regina, are you up yet?" An excited Henry shouted from the other side making the woman chuckle. She went and unlatched it and he ran straight into the apartment without hesitation, carrying a small pile of wrapped gifts. "I've brought your presents," he said as he bounced in anticipation. "Come on, let's open them."

"Let me get yours first," Regina replied as she quickly left the room to bring the bag of gifts she had brought for the boy. When she returned he was sat crossed legged on the sofa, still wearing his pyjamas and slippers. "You're awake very early today."

"I've been up for hours. I've already opened my presents with, Ma."

"Where is your Mother?" Regina queried, she would have expected the blonde to be not too far behind her son. Emma and Regina hadn't had to opportunity to speak to one another since their last encounter. In hindsight, Regina realised that perhaps she'd acted too harshly with the blonde. She was finding it difficult to stop acting on the offensive; it was much easier to push others away than admit what she was feeling. She wasn't entirely sure what she was feeling for Emma, but it was something. However, she couldn't bring herself to admit that aloud. And she certainly wouldn't be seeking Emma out to apologise for her behaviour anytime soon. Regina may have changed a great deal over the past two months, but she wasn't entirely reformed yet. Some things would take a lot more work.

"She's gone down to Mable and Paul to take them their gifts. She told me to bring yours." The boy shrugged, he didn't think there was anything odd about his mother's suggestion.

"Do you want to open your presents first?" Regina queried, deciding to gloss over Emma's absence and enjoy her time with Henry. He nodded enthusiastically and began tearing into the wrapping of his gifts. The first item he opened was the pair goalkeeping gloves which was followed by the soccer shirt Regina had bought him. She had even had his surname - SWAN - printed on the back of it.

"I Love it!" He excitedly exclaimed as he took off his pyjama top and replaced it with the shirt. He then began to unwrap his next gift which was in a long thin box. He looked at the shape, trying to decipher what it was before opening it. Upon seeing inside, he found an object that looked exactly like a wand. He looked down confused, as he picked it up out of the box and waved it around, the television turned on and his face lit up. "Oh my God. Did I just do that?"

Regina chuckled at his awestruck expression. "Yes, you can use it instead of a remote control. I thought you may find it -super cool."

"I am never using anything else to switch channels in my life," he stated with absolute certainty as he swished the wand through the air with a laugh.

The next few minutes involved Henry playing with the object until he remembered that Regina hadn't opened her gifts. He sat down again next her on the sofa and placed the presents on her lap. Taking the hint, she looked at them and picked up the smallest one. Before she could read the tag on it, Henry removed it from her hand and replaced it with the largest one from the pile.

"Will you open this one first? It's from me."

"Well, of course, I will if it's from you," Regina said with a smile as she began unwrapping the present. Beneath the messily folded and taped red and silver paper, she found a large brown leather book. Inside were photos from their time together so far, with handwritten notes and dates accompanying each one. She flicked through the pages one by one, taking in the sight. It documented her time since arriving in the land, with photographs from the night of Emma's birthday, Halloween, time spent with Henry watching movies, decorating the Christmas tree and playing in the snow with him and his mother. The photographs stopped after several pages, leaving the rest of the book blank.

When he noticed Regina had reached this point Henry spoke up, "I left the rest empty so you can keep adding new memories to it."

Regina put her arm around the boy with a smile and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. "Thank you, it's wonderful," she whispered, her voice breaking slightly with emotion. She could now understand why people of this land cherished this day above most others. This gift had to be one of the most thoughtful she had received in her life.

Henry's face lit up in a wide grin. "I'm happy you liked it. Ma helped with it too you know; she chose some of the pictures to put in. Here, this is to go with it-" Henry handed Regina the next present to unwrap; it had a little note attached. Merry Christmas, from Henry, Paul, Mable and Emma x "- it was Ma's idea, but it's from all of us," Henry added as the woman carefully began to remove the paper. Henry watched on impatiently as Regina slowly unfolded the wrapping. "We were gonna get you a camera so you could put more photos in your scrapbook, but Ma said this would have a camera on it anyway." Henry shrugged his shoulders. He would have preferred to get the camera, but the adults were the ones who were paying so he didn't get much say in the matter. "Plus she said if she ever got knocked down again, she'd like to know that you'd be able to call someone for help," he added with a smirk and a shake of his head, "She's such a dork sometimes."

Regina opened the box which contained one of the talking devices she had seen so many people use. She had absolutely no clue how to use one, and had no inclination to purchase one for herself. But she supposed if she was going to fully integrate herself into the ways of this world, it was about time she learnt how to use the object.

"You'll have to show me how to use this," Regina said to the boy who nodded his agreement to do so.

"Don't worry it's easy, and we've already put our numbers in it for you. So, it's pretty much ready to go." Regina looked at the small black device with dubious cynicism. She was an intelligent woman; she was sure she could manage to use it- eventually. After all, she had learnt how to operate a washing machine and a microwave. Surely this tiny object couldn't be as complicated to function.

"This one's from Ma," Henry said as he handed over the final gift, which was the small box that she had picked up initially. "When she saw it she went all weird and was like- I need to get this for Regina. Like I said, such a dork."

Once again the box had a note attached to it in a surprisingly neat cursive. I saw this and for some reason I thought of you - Emma x. Regina opened it, curious about what the contents may be, and couldn't help but let out a small chuckle when she saw what was inside. How could the blonde have known just how appropriate her gift was? Inside the box, resting on a black cushion, was a small golden apple with red stones encrusting it. Regina removed the chain around her neck and slipped the compass off the end of it, putting the object in her handbag without another thought. She then placed the apple pendant on the chain instead and refastened it around her neck. "Tell your Mother, it's perfect," Regina said with a smirk.

"Will do," Henry replied. "I'd better go down to see Mable now; I should probably thank her for my present. Me and Ma got matching hand knitted jumpers, and they're not even Christmassy ones, so I can't get away with wearing it one day a year." He sighed as he gathered together his belongings from the sofa and made his way to the door. "You're lucky you didn't get one, or you'd have to wear it for dinner later too."

Regina let out a laugh at the boy's exasperation. She was sure that it couldn't be as bad as he was implying.

Before she walked him to the door, she had a thought, "Henry, can you take these with you?" Regina said as she held out another gift bag for him to take. "They're for your mother, Mable and Paul."

"Sure thing. Thanks again for my presents. I'll see you later."

"Thank you too, I'll see you at dinner." Regina watched him go, still flourishing his wand as he walked, and closing the door once he was out of sight. She returned to the sofa with a smile on her face as she twirled the pendant around neck between her fingers. Sitting down, she took the book in her lap, and once again looked through the images it contained. She stopped on the one the last one and ran her fingers over the photograph; it was a picture of her and Emma laughing together in the snow. Regina sighed contentedly as she looked at it. She thought about how she appeared to be almost unrecognisable from the person she once was - she looked happy.

xxxxxxx

An hour or so later, Regina received another knock at the door. She was wearing her apron as she rolled out the pastry dough ready for the desert she was making. Her hands were sticky and covered in flour, so she called for the visitor to enter.

"Merry Christmas!" Came Emma's jovial voice from behind her.

"And to you, Miss Swan," Regina replied breathlessly as she continued to roll the dough.

"Thank you for the presents. I loved them." Emma made her way into the kitchen and hopped up onto the kitchen counter behind Regina.

"Yes, well, you needed a warmer coat, and I knew you would never get one for yourself. I barely see you out of that awful red one."

"You love it really," Emma replied with a chuckle. Regina turned around and wiped her brow with her forearm, leaning against the kitchen counter. Emma looked down and saw the pendant hanging around the brunette's neck and her face broke out into a beam. "You liked your present then? I saw it and I just had to get it for you, I dunno why. It was like I was drawn to it."

Regina looked down the apple briefly and smirked, "I like it very much. Thank you."

"Look - I'm wearing my other gift now," Emma said as she raised her arm to show it to the other woman. Regina had purchased a second gift for Emma. She had originally bought the small Gryffindor emblem for Henry when April had brought it for her to see along with the wand. But once she arrived home, she considered that the blonde would be much more appreciative of it.

"Any why, pray tell, have you opted to wear it on your wristband? It's a badge- it's meant to be worn on your clothing."

"Well, I didn't want to have to keep swapping it around in case I lost it, and I always have this on," Emma replied logically. Despite being a grown ass woman, she wasn't going to even pretend not to love it, - she was now a true Gryffindor. Regina just rolled her eyes at the woman's reasoning and turned back to her pastry.

Emma slid down off the counter and stood next to the busily rolling woman. "Whatcha making?"

"A pie for dessert."

"You need any help?"

"Can you bake?" Emma shook her head in response. "Then please explain to me how you could possibly be of any help?"

"Have you seen then guns?" The blonde replied as she rolled up her sleeves and flexed her biceps. Regina raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Rolling that out would be a piece of cake…or as easy as pie." Emma chuckled at her pun. "Easy as pie- Ha!"

The brunette shook her head at the woman, but couldn't hold back a grin. "Fine, if you insist. But make sure you put plenty of flour down so it doesn't stick to the counter."

Emma grabbed a handful of the white powder and sprinkled it over the worktop, flicking the rest at Regina with a laugh. The other woman gave her a unamused look and tried to wipe away the flour from her face. But with her hands still covered in sticky dough, it was proving rather difficult.

"You still have some on your nose," Emma said, looking over her shoulder and giggling to herself as she started rolling out the dough. Regina watched distractedly as she took in the sight of the blonde's rippling arm muscles. She forgot all about the flour on her face.

"There, I'm done. Is that okay?…Regina, is that thin enough?"

Regina snapped out of her daze when the blonde turned to face her. "Pardon?" Emma pointed down at the pastry which was in an almost rectangle on her kitchen work surface. Regina knew it would fine for what she required, but then she was rather enjoying the sight of the other woman wielding a rolling pin. On _second thoughts, it could be a little thinner._ "You'll need to roll it some more. I'll tell you when you can stop." Emma continued until the pastry was so thin it began to tear to the point where it was no longer repairable. "Oh dear. It appears you'll have to start over, Miss Swan."

"You don't have to sound so happy about it."

xxxxxxx

A few hours later, Regina was dressed ready to attend Christmas Dinner. She carried her apple pie in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other, and was walking down the hall to apartment number four. This would be the first time she had been back there since her first day in New York. It felt like such a long time ago, when in reality, it had only been a couple of months.

"Hello, dear. Merry Christmas." Mable greeted her as she answered the door, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug. Regina was quite taken aback but found the gesture warm and motherly. Something she wasn't used to. The brunette entered the apartment and was greeted by the two excitable dogs. She placed the items in her hands on the dining table and bent down to stroke Fred and Ginger. Mable continued to speak as she pottered about the kitchen. "Thank you for my scarf, it's beautiful. I'm going to wear it to my salsa class when it starts back up - Beryl will be so jealous."

"I'm glad you liked it." Regina had an inkling that the floral pink and white silk scarf would make an ideal gift for her elderly Landlady.

"Did you like your jumper, dear?"

"I didn't receive one," Regina replied confused.

"Now isn't that strange? I could have sworn that I gave it to Emma this morning to give to you. She must have forgotten; we'll just have to remind her about it later." If this was the same jumper which Henry spoke so little of, Regina wasn't sure if she was quite as keen as Mable to remind the blonde about it.

The elderly woman picked up the pie dish from the table and took it into the kitchen with her, Regina followed behind and washed her hands. "This looks wonderful Regina love. We'll have to whip up some custard to go with it." The younger woman smiled, she had been practising her pastry making skills all week in preparation for the day. She just hoped that the others would appreciate it too.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Mrs Peters?" Regina had come down purposefully early to see if the elderly woman needed assistance in the kitchen.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Mable." She gave the younger woman a playful wag of her finger and tutted.

Regina smiled and repeated her question. "Is there anything I can help you with, Mable?"

"I would love you to prepare some vegetables if that wouldn't be too much trouble, dear."

"It would be no problem at all."

xxxxxxx

The pair chatted happily while they finished up the dinner. The turkey was almost cooked. The vegetables were nearly ready, and the gravy looked and smelt amazing.

"Where are the others?" Regina inquired; the food was almost done, and they had yet to show their faces.

"I sent them out for a couple of hours. They were by trying to help bless them, but they just kept getting in my way and making more work for me. So they're all up in Emma's playing on Henry's new game."

"Do you usually do the dinner by yourself?" Mable wasn't exactly young, and this was a great deal of work for her to be doing own. But she was surprisingly swift and agile for a woman of her age. She ran her kitchen with military precision- it was like a well-oiled machine. Regina quite enjoyed the experience; cooking and talking about everyday events were the sorts of activities she'd never done with her own Mother.

"Well, these days it's usually just Me and Paulie; this year's an exception. Ever since my Frank died, it's just been the two of us."

"What about Paul's Parents? Don't they visit?"

"Hasn't he told you about his parents, dear?"

"No, he doesn't mention them."

"Paul was adopted when he was eight by my son and daughter-in-law. That's where he met Emma- they were in the same foster home. He really looked up to her when they were together; I think he still thinks of her as a big sister." Mable smiled fondly as she thought about her grandson, the only family she had left. She was glad that Paul had someone else in his life. She worried that he would be left on his own after her days, which was why she was always so eager to get him to settle down with someone and start is own family. "Anyway, when Paulie was fourteen, his parents passed away. So he came to live me and my husband until he was old enough the take over the family business, and now he lives in the apartment above the store."

Regina stood quietly while she absent-mindedly stirred the gravy and listened to the older woman. She realised that as much has she felt a bond with these new people in her life, she really didn't know much about them at all. "What about you, dear? Do you usually celebrate the holidays with your family? It must be difficult for you being away from home this time of year."

The younger woman decided she would refrain from mentioning the fact that Christmas wasn't a tradition in her land. "I didn't grow up in a household where we would celebrate holidays; my mother wasn't exactly the festive type. So, this experience is all new to me."

"Are you enjoying it so far?"

"I must admit I am - very much so."

xxxxxxx

A little while later there was the sound of laughter approaching the apartment.

"I put the latch down, dear. Would you mind letting them in?" Mable asked as she checked on the turkey.

Regina took off her apron and made her way to the door. Upon opening it, she was hugged by Paul and given a sloppy kiss on the lips. "Merry Christmas, Darling. You look as fabulous as always." He said as he took in her outfit. She had opted for a red, wrap around dress for the occasion; she thought it would be suitably festive.

Henry then proceeded to stand on his tip toes and kiss her on the other cheek. "I heard you made apple pie. It's my favourite." The boy said with a smile and expectant eyes. He was wearing a green jumper which was too short in the sleeves and had an 'H' embroidered on the front along with what appeared to be some sort of animal. It was either a dog, a bear or a monkey - one couldn't be too sure.

"You'll need to eat your dinner first," Emma said from behind him. The boy huffed and went to join Paul on the sofa. Emma lingered in the doorway, looking somewhat uncomfortable. She was wearing her own almost identical jumper, except for the 'E' on the front. Regina was suddenly very grateful that the blonde had not delivered the present that morning.

The brunette frowned a little, "Aren't you coming in?" She asked the woman whose eyes kept shifting to above Regina's head.

"Yeah, um, I kinda need to kiss you first." Emma shrugged and tried to look Regina in the eye. She pulled the green jumper away from her neck, "Is it me, or is it warm in here? Anyone else feeling hot right now?" She gave an awkward laugh as she questioned no one in particular.

"Excuse me? Why do you need to kiss me?" The brunette tried to sound affronted by the suggestion, but she wasn't too put out by the idea. Emma pointed upwards, and the brunette followed her gaze. "What does that plant have to do with anything, Miss Swan?"

"It's Mistletoe," Regina gave the other woman a sceptical look, she couldn't see why the two things were connected. "You must have heard about kissing under the mistletoe. It a tradition, and it's like bad luck not to do it or something."

The brunette considered what the other woman had said. She supposed it wouldn't be the first of this lands customs that she hadn't heard of, and it would certainly not be the last - she was sure of that. "Oh, I see. I presume that's why the others kissed me." Once she thought about it, the previous three encounters at the doorway made much more sense.

"Yeah, that would be why. Not that they wouldn't want to kiss you anyway. I'm sure they would be quite happy to do it whether there was Mistletoe or not. They've probably thought about kissing you lot's of times but hadn't worked up the nerve to do it yet. Or maybe they got distracted by something else like I dunno, their cell ringing. There's a whole bunch of reasons why it might not have happened…"

Regina smirked at the blonde, who once again found herself rambling aimlessly - it was starting to become quite endearing. "Are we talking about Paul, Mable or Henry here?"

"I'm pretty sure it applies to all of them," Emma said with a wince.

"Just plant one on her Ems and stop stalling." Paul hollered from behind them.

Emma narrowed her eyes at him."Shut the eff up, Paul," she retorted as she surreptitiously gave him the middle finger.

In the spirit of goodwill, Regina decided she would put the other woman out of her misery. So she stepped forward; pulling Emma towards her by a handful of green knitwear. The blonde's breath hitched at the sudden proximity. She looked down at the lip Emma was unconsciously moistening with her tongue, and then up into piercing green eyes. "Merry Christmas, Emma," She said quietly, before placing a soft kiss on the corner of the other woman's mouth. Regina pulled back after a moment and looked back up at Emma with a smile.

"Yeah, you too, Regina," Emma replied, almost inaudibly, with a wide grin as she gazed into warm brown eyes.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: This chapter picks up straight after the last one and covers the rest of Christmas dinner.

It's a bit of filler, but necessary to finish off the last one and set up the next.

Hope you like it anyway.

Thanks again for your support and comments.

* * *

Emma and Regina stood in the doorway; their gaze unwavering, with their faces just inches apart. Emma's heart thudded pleasantly, her skin still tingling where the other woman's lips had brushed so near her own. _She kissed me - she actually kissed me. Not just a peck on the cheek either, but in the vicinity of my actual mouth._ Her smile widened impossibly further as she mentally high-fived herself.

Regina still hadn't let go of the blonde's jumper and was slowly and subconsciously moving closer to the other woman. Her brown eyes, curious and hopeful, momentarily leaving green to stare at soft pink lips. She hadn't realised quite how much she'd wanted to kiss them again until the opportunity to do so arose. And now that the idea of it was in her head, the temptation to kiss Emma was captivating.

Caught up in each other, they didn't pay any attention to the others who were watching on.

"Finally, now we can all get on with our day!" Paul said as he stood up from the sofa, and started a slow clap. "At least, one of you has a some balls." The sound instilled some awareness, but neither women attempted to move. The young man walked over and clasped the blonde on the shoulder, grabbing her attention further. "Ems, I mean this in the nicest possible way- you seriously need to grow a pair, hun."

The blonde nodded silently as she took in what he said. She was a confident and independent woman; what was it about Regina that made her into this awkward, self-conscious fool? Her face morphed into a blank expression, the smile slowly unfurling from her lips, and her brow furrowing. Now that initial exuberance has worn off, a feeling of unease was starting to nestle in her stomach. She couldn't quite place what it was or why she felt it. Perhaps it was just her old fears of commitment or abandonment rearing their ugly heads. Or her dislike of public displays of affection, especially ones in front of her son. Maybe it was something else entirely. Whatever it may be, she tamped it down and tried to ignore it.

"Now, who wants wine? I'm having wine." Paul queried, looking between the two woman with a smirk. They both looked like they could benefit greatly from a few glasses grape juice. He hoped that a drink or five would loosen them up a bit, which could be both amusing and enlightening in equal measures.

Henry tempted his luck, hoping he'd to go unnoticed by his mother. "I will," he said from somewhere out of sight. Paul seemed like the type of guy who wouldn't begrudge an almost teenager a sip or two of alcohol during the holidays.

Unfortunately for him, Emma wasn't that distracted. "No, you won't," she intervened, still coming out of her Regina inspired trance. She titled her head to her left so she could see her son and give him an unimpressed look. Turning back to Paul, she added. "But I will have the biggest glass you can find."

"Sure thing, babes. Alcohol is always the answer." He said as he gave her a reassuring pat on the back. He could almost see the cogs turning in her mind as she stared repeatedly from her son to Regina.

Having only digested half the conversation as she found herself coming back to reality, Regina released Emma's jumper which she hadn't realised she was still holding. "The answer to what?" She asked in a slight befuddlement as she took in the young man next to her.

"Everything," Paul stated dramatically.

"In that case, I will have some too."

xxxxxxx

While Paul busied himself with getting the wine opened and poured. The two women stepped further apart and smiled at one another for a moment, before looking away. Now that their little mistletoe-induced bubble had burst, they didn't quite know what to do with themselves. Fortunately for them, the staring at anything but each other didn't last for too long as Mable returned from the kitchen with a burning question she needed to ask the blonde.

"Emma, dear?"

"Yu-huh?" The younger woman replied, hands in her jean pockets as she rocked on the balls of her feet.

"What happened to Regina's jumper? She says she hasn't received it yet?" Mable queried as she brought a pile of plates in from the kitchen and placed them on the dining table.

 _Oh shit. I didn't think she'd bring that up._

Emma knew exactly what jumper the elderly woman referred to, which was precisely why she was so determined not to hand it over to the brunette. She was basically performing damage limitation all round. The blonde had no idea how Regina would react to the gift, but given her always immaculate appearance and extensive repertoire of sarcastic remarks, she couldn't imagine it going well. Emma figured she would also save the woman of the embarrassment of having to wear it to dinner; which Mable made quite clear in her gift tag, that she was fully expected to. And if it also meant that she got to see Regina in her current figure-hugging red number rather than misshapen green knitwear- well, that was just an added bonus. There was no downside to Emma's plan in her opinion. Well, that was true until Mable decided to start questioning, at least.

 _Lie, Swan, Lie! Pretend you have no idea what she's talking about._

"Jumper? Hmm…Regina's jumper? You'll have to be more specific." Emma answered, attempting to avoid the elderly women's scrupulous gaze; the pitch a little too high to sound natural.

"The one I gave you this morning lovely. It looks just like yours." Mable, who remained oblivious to the young woman's attempts to cover up said item's current location, turned to the young boy sitting in the armchair who was looking at his mother with a confused expression. "Henry dear, will you get the cutlery and help me set the table?" He nodded and bounded into the kitchen. Grabbing the knives and forks from the drawer, and returning quickly to the table, he listened intently as the conversation unfolded.

The blonde took advantage of the older woman's momentary distraction to determine an alternate approach. "Umm…Lemme think for a sec." She flopped onto the sofa, and put on her best 'I'm concentrating really hard' expression. Then, let out an overly dramatic sigh as she shook her head; pretending not to recall the exchange. "I'm struggling to place it. Are you sure it was me you gave it to?"

"Yes, dear. I specifically remember you saying that you would take it to her."

 _Damn it, she's a sharp as a tack for someone who's almost ninety._

"Really, I said that?" Mable nodded as she continued to set the table with Henry's help. Emma considered just giving in, and going to get the jumper. But then she had a flash of inspiration. "It's probably that bump I had on the old noggin," she with a laugh and a playful roll of the eyes. "It must've knocked a few things loose because I can't remember a thing about it."

 _That should do it, bring up the head injury. If anything will get her to leave me alone, it'll be that._ The blonde winced in anticipation of Mable's response but it wasn't her who spoke next.

Regina, who had been watching the exchange in amusement from the doorway, shut the door and decided to interject before the blonde could dig herself any deeper into a hole. "It doesn't matter right now, Mrs Peters." Upon the pointed look she received from the elderly woman, she amended the name, "Sorry - Mable. But I'm grateful for your gift all the same. Just seeing Emma wear her's, is more than enough for me." The brunette smirked at the women on the sofa, who gave her a sarcastic grin in return. As appreciative as Regina was of Emma's obvious attempts at intervening, it didn't mean that she couldn't be quietly amused at the woman's expense. Green knitwear sporting an animal like creature was certainly a look; a look which Emma was struggling to pull off, and Regina had no intention of trying to.

"Don't you worry, dear. Even if I have to knit another one, you will get your jumper." Mable reassured Regina.

The younger woman gulped, and held back the sneer and barbed comment that she was oh so tempted to say. A few months ago she wouldn't have had the same restraint, but she bit her tongue and put on her well-practiced dignified mask. "That's really not necessary," she said through clenched teeth.

Before the exchange could go any further, Henry decided it was about time he added his two cents worth to the conversation. "You know, I'm pretty it was in the living room. I could just…" He chimed in- trying (and spectacularly failing) to be helpful. He quickly stopped when he was met with his Mother's stern eyes and a shake of her head. He knew that look, so he tried to back peddle. "Never mind. I know nothing. Forget I said anything." He mumbled and slowly edged away from the dining table. He didn't know why his Mother was acting this way because he knew for sure that she'd been given the gift. Unfortunately, he didn't always know when to keep his mouth shut.

Deciding she was out of further options thanks to her son's foot in mouth disease, Emma figured she would have to concede to knowing the whereabouts of the item. "Oh that jumper, I remember now," Emma stated as if having a sudden moment of enlightenment. Letting out an unnatural laugh, she hastily tried to think up a reason why she wouldn't have delivered it to the other woman. "I thought…that we would surprise Regina with it tomorrow. Yeah, that's it! I was planning on giving it to her tomorrow instead. How amazing would it be to get an extra gift the day after Christmas, right? I mean, you think it's all over, and you get all depressed, then BAM! You get another present- the fun never stops."

Emma let out another even more stilted laugh and looked at the faces around her to see if any of them bought into her logic. Henry was trying to suppress giggles. Regina just stood with her arms folded and an eyebrow raised; shaking her head slightly with a smirk. Mable regarded her with curiosity. She narrowed her eyes, trying to decipher why the blonde would consider such an idea at all.

The elderly woman decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "That's a sweet thought, dear. But I'm sure that Regina would prefer it today." Mable didn't see the brunettes wide-eyed expression of abject horror at the idea. She patted Henry on the shoulder and forcefully encouraged him toward the door. "Go on then Henry, you go get it before we have dinner. There's a good boy. Then we'll take some nice photo's of the three of you together. Wouldn't that be lovely?" Mable smiled with a nod. Her decision was final. The younger women gave forced smiles in return as they watched the woman depart the room.

Henry returned less than two minutes later, knitwear in hand. He offered it to Regina, who took it with a reluctant smile. She walked over to the sofa and sat next to Emma. Letting out an exasperated breath, the brunette held out the jumper at arms length. Taking in the lurid green, and dog-bear hybrid, she decided it was best to just get this over and done with. She could wear it briefly, smile for a photograph or two, and burn it later. She would take great pleasure in the act, and the material did look highly flammable. Quickly, Regina shrugged it over her shoulders with a grimace; her skin had never come into contact with such a cheap fabric in her life. The temptation to claw at it was great, but she maintained her poise and focused on keeping her composure.

Observing the brunettes look of disdain, Emma leant in and whispered. "I'm sorry, I tried my best. It's not so bad once you get used to the itchiness."

Regina highly doubted it but attempted to mask her distaste for the item as she smiled at Emma. "I appreciate the effort."

xxxxxxx

A little while and a glass or two of wine later, the table was set and dinner was ready. They all made their way to where their feast was laid out before them. Henry asked Regina to sit next to him, which she happily agreed to, leaving his mother to sit opposite her next to Paul. And of course, Mable was at the head of the table.

"Can we pull the crackers first?" Henry asked eagerly, to which Mable nodded her agreement. The boy turned to the woman next to him and held out the shiny, red and green cardboard cylinder. Regina looked down at it perplexed, then back up at the boy with confusion. She wondered what he wanted her to do as he looked at her expectantly. Her question was quickly answered in the form of the two adults opposite, who were pulling apart several of the objects and then bickering over ownership of the contents.

"Paul, I won it fair and square."

"But it was in my Cracker, Ems."

"Sorry, but I don't make the rules. Everyone knows that the winner gets the prize." The blonde stated emphatically. She put on her yellow paper crown and threw a scrap of paper at the younger man. "Here, you can have the joke instead."

"I don't want the joke; I want the tiny screwdriver set," Paul said with a pout as he slumped his shoulders. "Ple-ease, it will go perfectly with my mini measuring tape and sewing kit."

His plea did little to affect Emma, who remained unwavering in her stance on the matter. Although, she may be tempted to negotiate if the price was right. "Let's pull another one and I may think about trading it."

Five crackers later…

"Okay, so how about my plastic moustache and pack of miniature playing cards for the screwdrivers?" Paul bartered with the woman who had refused his last three attempts at a trade.

"Throw in the spinning top and you've got yourself a deal."

"You drive a hard bargain, Swan."

"Think of all the tiny screws that will go unfastened, is it really worth it over a spinning top?"

"Fine, you make a compelling case." He spat in his hand and held it out to shake. "Deal!"

Emma gave him a look of disgust and stared pointedly down at his extended hand. Paul grinned and wiped it on his jumper before offering it to her again."Pleasure doing business with you, sir." She said with a satisfied smile as she shook on the transaction. She had only wanted the moustache anyway. The other items were just a bonus.

Once the deal had been settled, and they had all adorned their paper crowns, they started to dish out their meal. They passed the vegetables around the table while Paul carved the turkey with difficulty and constant heckling from his Grandmother. She had handed over the responsibility to the young man for the first time this year wIth some hesitance, which had proven to be well founded as he hacked away at the bird. Emma drank an excessive amount of wine and ate surprisingly little - which translates as just one large helping of everything. And Regina forgot all about the horrendous knitwear she modelled, which she somehow managed to pull off with a dignified elegance. She laughed merrily, drank liberally and enjoyed the festive occasion.

"I don't think I can eat another bite," the blonde said as she finished her last mouthful. She placed her cutlery on her now empty plate and patted her full stomach. Regina raised an eyebrow in surprise at the declaration but didn't pass comment. This was the first time to blonde had ever described herself as being full; it was very unlike her to turn down more food. Maybe she was feeling unwell.

Mable who had begun clearing away the empty plates responded, "That's a shame dear, we have apple pie and custard for dessert as well."

That caught Emma's attention. Her head spun around to face the elderly woman - how could she have forgotten about the pie she had contributed towards? "Oh yeah," she drawled with a grin. "Well, I'm sure I'll manage a mouthful or two. There always room for a bit of dessert."

xxxxxx

"This is delicious. I could've eaten the whole thing," Emma stated as she subtly tried to pull the pie dish towards her without detection. She, Paul and Regina sat at the dining table with the remnants of the dessert, three spoons and a bottle of wine. Mable was busy feeding the dogs leftovers, and Henry was switching channels until he discovered the best of the Christmas TV.

Regina suppressed an eye roll, but she appreciated the blonde's enthusiasm for her baking all the same. "Why doesn't that surprise me in the least?" _So much for being full._

The blonde ignored to remark; instead, she continued eating and commenting on the dessert. "The pastry is perfect. It's so thin and crumbly. It must have been the expert rolling- that's the only possible explanation."

"It took you four attempts to get it to an acceptable standard- hardly the definition of expert." The other woman retorted sarcastically with a derogatory snort.

Emma shrugged off the remark and said with a smirk. "And who's fault was that?"

"Clearly yours, if my memory serves me correctly, you were the one with the rolling pin."

"And you were the one who was too busy ogling me to pay enough attention." The blonde flippantly declared, pouring more custard on the pie which the others had now given up on trying to eat. She watched on in amusement as the brunette appeared caught off guard by the comment. Regina managed to mask her expression quickly, but Emma knew that she'd flustered the woman.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Regina denied with indignation, attempting to look aghast at the suggestion. She thought she'd been discreet in her admiration of the other woman. Emma had given her no prior indication of knowing otherwise.

 _Ping!_ Emma's internal lie detector went off at the denial. "Oh really?" She said with a smirk, as she slowly and deliberately licked off the contents the spoon in her hand and pulled it out of her mouth with a pop.

"Yes, really." The brunette replied less convincingly.

Paul, who had been silently entertained by the little exchange, decided to cut in before the bickering went from playful banter to a punch up. Or a full blown make out sesh; both options were a distinct possibility. "Ladies, I hate to break up the lovers tiff, but I have an important matter to discuss."

"It was no such thing." "We were just talking, seriously Paul." Regina and Emma answered in shock at the same time.

Paul raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the women, cutting them off with a raised hand before they could go any further with their denials. "The Ladies doth protest too much," he stated with a smirk, and a little pride in being able to casually drop a Shakespeare quote into the conversation. He received simultaneous eye rolls from both women. "Look at you two, so in sync with each other already. It's kinda adorable." The young man said with a laugh.

Emma gave an exasperated sigh. Getting back to his reason for interrupting them before he could start suggesting that their monthly cycles had matched up, or something else equally mortifying, she asked. "What did you want to say that was so important, Paul?"

"Okay, so, I've decided we need a night out with no kids or old people. I'm thinking- New Year's Eve party; you's two, me, and some hot guy who I haven't met yet. Whatcha say?"

"That sounds wonderful." Regina's mouth agreed readily to the suggestion before her brain had to chance to intervene. After a few too many glasses of wine, she was a little too open to the idea of spending more time with the other two for her liking. And a little too quick in vocalising it for that matter.

"Uh, are we talking a group hang out situation here? Or…?" Emma queried, urging the man to know what she was asking without having to say it out loud.

"Or…?" Paul said feigning ignorance. He knew very well what his friend was hinting at, but he wouldn't let her get away with it that easily. Especially after he became a victim of her daylight robbery earlier - _Paybacks a bitch._

"You know…" The blonde willed him to grasp what she was implying, as she tilted her head unsubtly towards the other woman with wide eyes.

"Use your words, babes."

Emma let out a sigh, held up he hand to her mouth and spoke in a loud whisper; she would have to spell it out for him. "A double d-a-t-e." Which she took quite literally it would seem.

"In case you weren't aware, I can hear and spell, Miss Swan," Regina cut in.

From her understanding of this world, a date could refer to a type of shrivelled fruit, a day on a calendar or a courting ritual in this land. Based on the context of the conversation, she safely presumed the blonde was alluding to the latter.

Emma gave the other woman a sheepish grin and mumbled apologetically. "Yeah, right, of course you can, sorry." _Of course she can, fucking idiot_.

Paul looked back and forth between both women with a grin and stated. "It can be whatever you want it to be."

Neither Emma or Regina had an answer to that. Well, not one they were willing to admit to out loud, at least.

* * *

Additional A/N: Just wanted to address some things a few people have mentioned.

In regards to Regina getting a job- this is something I am considering, but I have a few reasons why I'm inclined not pursue that avenue. Firstly, I think a woman whose only job has been a Queen, wouldn't really consider looking for one immediately. Secondly, I am a realist, and so I just can't bring myself to ignore that fact hat she has zero paperwork, qualifications or references. Who would employ her? And thirdly, for the purposes of the story in the long term, this period of time needs to focus on building the relationships between the characters. Getting bogged down in an immigration battle with the authorities would be a distraction from that.

The reason I gave Regina gold in the first place was to alleviate the need to have to write a needlessly complicated, or ridiculously unrealistic way of her finding a job.

The amount of gold she has wouldn't be a neverending supply, but if you could just suspend your disbelief for a little while and presume that she will have enough to cover her for the foreseeable future that would be great :) For similar reasons to above, I didn't want to have to write a Regina on a budget. Where would he fun be in that?

I hope this clarifies some things for people who were wondering about these things.

If you weren't, then please feel free to ignore this.

Next time- NYE


	12. Chapter 11

Emma had spent the entire afternoon trying on outfits for the party that evening. This was unusual for the woman whose attitude to such things was to wear whichever clothes didn't need ironing. But for some reason, today had been an exception. She hadn't realised how many tough choices there were to make. Dress or pants? Smart-casual or formal? Hair up or down?

In the end, she played it safe with a plain, short, black dress and her hair in a loose bun with curls falling around her face. Classy and elegant - were two words that she wouldn't have ordinarily used to describe herself but were quite fitting given her well put together appearance that evening. She looked at herself in the full-length mirror and twirled around to get a complete view. She was rather impressed if she didn't say so herself. _Not bad Swan, I scrub up pretty well when I put in the effort._

While she waited for the others to arrive for few pre-party drinks, she busied herself in the kitchen with slicing several limes for the obligatory tequilas. Once she finished that task, she set about hunting for the corkscrew which she always seemed to misplace when she needed it. It wasn't long before she was joined by Paul who hadn't even bothered knocking before entering the apartment. He had most definitely made himself at home there since he'd stayed with Henry while Emma was in the hospital. Not that Emma minded, she always enjoyed his entertaining company.

The young man set down the bottles of champagne he'd brought with him, and grabbed himself the pre-poured shot glass. Before they even greeted one another, they drank their first tequila. After a couple of minutes of general chit chat, Paul jumped straight into questioning the blonde on the thing he'd been desperate to ask.

"So Ems, what's going on between you and Regina?" He said as sat perched on the kitchen counter.

Emma, who was busy pouring the next round of drinks, looked up in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that the two of you are giving off more sapphic vibes than a softball team wearing a flannel uniform."

The blonde let out an incredulous laugh. "You just get right to the point, don't you?"  
"I'm not in the habit of beating around bushes."

"In more ways than one," Emma said with an eyebrow wiggle and a suggestive smirk.

Paul acknowledged her quick wit. "I tip my tiny invisible hat to you."

"I'll drink to that," Emma replied as she raised her shot glass to her friend. "Cheers." The pair clinked glasses and downed the contents with a wince; following it up with a lime slice.

"Getting back to my question. You and Regina- spill," Paul said as he popped open a bottle of champagne and poured it into two mugs. Apparently, the blonde's kitchen cupboards only contained mugs, shot glasses and plastic cups. She had bought wine glasses once but had managed to smash them all. She hadn't felt it was necessary to replace them in the mean time. One of her life mottos was - 'why drink wine from a glass when a coffee mug would do?' A motto that she found was applicable almost daily.

"Well, I like her… because of, you know, reasons." Emma said with a shrug, verbalising feelings wasn't one of her strengths.

"Is it the sharp dress sense or the even sharper array of insults?" The young man queried. For him, they were two of the brunette's most appealing qualities. He imagined it would be the same for most people.

"Both - amongst other stuff." Emma shrugged as she sipped her mug of champagne.

It wasn't much of an answer. But by Emma Swan standards it was quite the declaration and was enough to satisfy Paul - for now. "This whole getting you to admit you have a thing for Regina has been a lot easier this time. Last time required much more alcohol too. Progress- I'll drink to that." Paul held up his mug to Emma, which she tapped with her own before drinking to the achievement. After taking a large glug, she did a double take as she realised what the statement meant.

"Last time?" The blonde asked with curiosity. She wasn't aware of another time where this line of conversation had occurred. But if there was alcohol involved, then she could easily have forgotten it. It wouldn't have been the first time she'd blacked out an entire night due to excessive alcohol consumption, and probably wouldn't be the last.

"Yeah on Halloween, I got you to confess all your deepest desires over a gallon or two of cocktails," Paul said with a grin.

"Really? I drank cocktails?" Was Emma's immediate reaction; she must have been drunk if she'd agreed to that. Beer- yep. Whiskey- absolutely. Vodka- yes, please. Cocktails- definitely not. Once she got over that initial shock, she concentrated on the rest of the statement. If it was on Halloween, then obviously it made sense that she wouldn't remember it. Although, she must have gotten more intoxicated that night than she'd first thought. Getting run over was one thing, but confessing how she felt about someone was a whole other level of inebriation. "And I talked about feelings and shit?" She added. It was hard to believe she would have done such a thing after knowing Regina for so little time. At least now, she was pretty sure how she felt about the woman.

"Yep, it was pretty nauseating, to be honest," Paul said wth a shake of his head. He then added with dramatic arm movements, and a high pitched voice, which in no way resembled Emma's own. " _We have this connection. We are drawn together. I want to protect her - feelings, feelings, blah, blah, blah._ " Paul rolled his eyes. "Vom!"

"Firstly, I do not sound so nasal and melodramatic."

"Debatable." The young man shrugged.

"Rude!" She said as she playfully nudged him in the ribs.

"Is there a secondly?" He queried with a smile.

"Yeah. Secondly, ugh - I can't believe I said that." It sounded way too gushy for her. But Paul nodded in confirmation that she had indeed said such things that night. Emma shuddered at the thought of being so emotionally exposed. She kept her feelings very much bottled up at all times. This was why she didn't drink cocktails. She would have never been so emotional after a few beers.

"So are you two…?" Paul asked as he waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Are us two what?" Emma called over her shoulder as she grabbed a beer from the fridge, until further notice this was the only form of alcohol she'd be drinking.

"Dining out in vagina town. Riding the O-Train to Lez city, next stop clit central."

Emma leant against the counter as she pulled the cap off her beer. She shook her head with amusement and said. "Paul, that's not a thing. Nobody says that."

"I don't know all the lesbian lingo, do I? I try my best not think about that region of the body." He said with a look somewhere between disgust and fear on his face. The young man gestured in wide circles at the area from Emma's neck to her knees. "One big no-go zone."

Emma slapped away his hand causing him to giggle to himself. "Well, we aren't sleeping together if that's what you're asking." She let out a sigh and stared at the beer in her hand. In barely more than a whisper she added. "There isn't much of anything happening, to be honest."

Paul gave her a warm smile as she looked back up at him. "But you want there to be," it wasn't a question. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was true. Emma nodded her head and let out a shuddery breath. "There's only one way you can make it happen. You need to woman up, Swan."

Emma furrowed her brow and picked at the label on her beer bottle. Admitting these things to Paul was one thing, but saying them to Regina was something else entirely. "I know, but what if-"

Paul cut in before she could come up with an excuse, this had gone on long enough and he was getting tired of the pair dancing around their feelings. "Nope, no buts or what ifs. You need to tell her how you feel tonight. End of discussion."

"But-"

"Nope."

You-"

"Nuh-huh."

"She-"

"What part of - end of discussion - don't you understand?"

Emma let out a defeated sigh and hunched her shoulders, "I-" Before she could finish her response she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Paul said with a mischievous grin. Emma's arms flailed as she tried to grab him but he was too quick for her. Before she had a chance to get to the door, he had already opened it and was greeting the woman on the other side. "Hello, gorgeous, we were just talking about you."

Regina entered the apartment with a radiant smile on her face. She looked from Paul to Emma. The blonde's breath caught for her moment when their gaze met. _Wow, Regina's really beautiful when she smiles. Who am I kidding? She is all the time._ Emma's face slowly changed into a matching wide grin of her own.

"Nothing bad I hope," Regina said, causing the blonde came back to her senses.

Paul opened his mouth to speak but was cut off before he had the chance. "No, it was all good, just, uh, wondering what time you were getting here is all. But you're here now, so that's all that needs to be said on the matter." Emma gave Paul a pointed look, "Isn't that right, Paul?"

"Oh, I would beg to differ. But the night is still young, and there is still much alcohol to be drunk." The young man gave her a smile that challenged the woman to counter. She narrowed her eyes at him and folded her arms, but didn't get drawn into his trap. "Speaking of - here you go, drink this. You have some catching up to do." Paul said as he handed Regina a half empty bottle of champagne and a mug.

xxxxxxx

Once Paul had decided that Regina was sufficiently caught up with her drinking, they headed out to the party. As it turned out, it was at the same establishment as the Halloween party. Apparently Paul was good friends with the owner of the place, so was guaranteed entry to any event. The downside was it was on the other side of the city, therefore, required either a lengthy trip on the subway or a heftily priced taxi ride. They'd opted for the taxi on this occasion.

When they arrived at the bar, Paul led them directly to the front of the queue, which resulted in several insults being bandied about between themselves and some of those who had been patiently waiting in the cold winter air. Paul had given his name to the burly doorman, and they were instantly allowed entry into the building.

They managed to find themselves a table, and Paul bought the first few rounds of drinks. The three laughed, joked, drank and chatted happily together; they were having a great evening all round. Emma stuck to her plan of only drinking beer - she wasn't going to allow herself to get overly emotional tonight. She was going to enjoy herself, get pleasantly tipsy and see where things led. If she felt like the moment was right, she would say something to Regina. But she wasn't gonna make a big deal about it. She wouldn't fret over it, and ruin their time together. Emma decided that she should probably have more to drink; that would definitely help in this situation.

While Regina excused herself to go to the bathroom, and Paul discreetly checked out any potential midnight kissing material (he hadn't found himself a hot guy to bring with them, but he wasn't going to let that get in his way, he still had more than enough time to find someone). Emma went to get the next round of drinks in.

The blonde leant against the bar and caught the attention of a young bartender. "Hey buddy, two beers and a glass of Pinot Noir, please." He nodded his understanding and left to get the drinks. Emma drummed her fingers on the wooden surface as she tapped her foot and hummed to the song that was playing in the background.

"Well, well, well- if it isn't psycho Snow White. Long time no see." Came an unfamiliar male voice from over her shoulder. Emma turned around to come face to face with a man who had messy, dirty blonde hair and an unkempt appearance. He had a double whiskey in his hand, which he swallowed in one and slammed down on the bar behind Emma, leaning towards her threateningly as he did so.

"Excuse me? Do I know you?" Emma could smell the stench of alcohol and desperation as he leered at her. He was obviously drunk and had mistaken her for someone else.

"We met a little while back; you know- when your fist got acquainted with my Jaw?" He snarled, swaying slightly as he spoke.

Emma looked back with confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?" She said. She had no recollection of this man. But punching him certainly sounded like something she would do; he had one of those punchable faces.

"I know you're a blonde but you can't be that dumb," he slurred, pushing her on the shoulder.

Emma closed her eyes and took in a calming breath. She removed his hand, then turned back to the bar to wait for her drinks. She was having a fun night so far, and getting into a fight with some random drunk wasn't part of her plans. The blonde hoped that if she ignored him long enough, he would go anyway of his own accord.

Evidently she was mistaken, he grabbed Emma roughly by the arm and spun her around, pinning her against the bar. "So are you fucking her yet? Or are you still just her guard dog?" He growled a little too close to her for comfort.

Emma, feeling her patience start to wear thin, decided she would give the asshole one final warning before she lost her resolve altogether. "Seriously, unless you want your balls to become acquainted with my knee, you need to back the fuck off," she said, as she pushed him away from her. He stumbled backwards, grabbing onto whoever was in his path to prevent his from falling over. Unfortunately for him, it just so happened to be Paul, who had made his way through the bar as soon as he had spotted the man approaching his friend. Paul removed the hand from his arm. Without the support, the man tumbled to the ground where he lay spreadeagled on the floor.

"You alright, Ems?" Paul asked as he ignored the man who was attempting to get back to his feet. Emma nodded and grabbed their drinks from the bar.

"Well, if it isn't the fucking homo who can't keep his goddamn mouth shut." The drunk snarled from the floor as he crawled towards a bar stool, trying to hoist himself up to his feet.

Paul shook his head at the pathetic sight. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," he said to himself. He turned away from the other man and back to his friend. Taking his beer from her, he added: "Come on, let's leave this drunken asshole to his pity party."

The pair walked back to their table, which was now occupied by a gaggle of girls, who definitely weren't old enough to be drinking. A few choice words from Emma soon had them vacating the area.

"So what the fuck was that about?" Emma asked now sitting back in her seat. She was still in confusion about what was going on. She hoped that Paul could enlighten her on things; he seemed to know who that guy was and vice versa. And neither appeared to like one another very much.

Paul let out a long sigh and leant back in his seat. "Long story, babes."

"I've got time."

"Fine I'll tell you, but let's wait for Regina to get back. She'll need to fill you in on a few of the deats too."

Emma had an ominous feeling about this. She didn't think she was going to like what she was going to hear. Especially if it involved the brunette too.

xxxxxxx

Paul regaled both women with the story of how he knew Charles. Regina had been as shocked as Emma to discover some of the details. Paul had told her that Charles was married previously, but she hadn't realised how much of a philanderer he was. She was suddenly immensely more grateful to Emma for intervening that night, and immeasurably more remorseful for how she reacted to said intervention.

Once Paul had finished his story, two sets of eyes fell upon Regina. The other two encourage her to follow up with her take on proceedings. So reluctantly, she informed them of her encounter with the man. She spoke about him with disgust and derision. Her mood became noticeable lighter when she informed them of Emma stepping in that night. Regina's face morphed into a melancholy smile, as she trailed off after telling them of the altercation between the two. She didn't want to repeat the events that followed.

"Wow, what an asshole. I feel like I should go punch him again." Emma said once she'd listened to both stories. She was furious and agitated; now she wished she hadn't held herself back tonight. She was glad she'd punched him before, but she would have liked to remember that feeling. The blonde continued her musings of what she would to the man out loud. "Or kick him in the balls, yeah I'll do that. Maybe crack a rib or two. Actually, where the fuck is my taser? I'm gonna go taser his good for nothing ass."

Paul decided to interject when he noticed his friend getting increasingly worked up. He could understand her outrage, but she had more important things she needed to do tonight. No, he hadn't forgotten what he'd told Emma a few hours earlier at the apartment. "He's really not worth it Ems. Look at him," Emma followed Paul's gaze to where the man was stumbling around near the bar and starting an argument with anyone within earshot. "He can barely keep himself upright. I think Maria getting her act together and kicking his ass out was punishment enough." The young man had been overjoyed when a delighted Sheila had informed him that her daughter was getting a divorce from Charles. So much so, they had closed the store early and gone for a coffee and a slice of cake to celebrate.

"Good for her; if it were me, I would have ripped out his heart and crushed it into dust," Regina stated matter of factly as she sipped on her wine. When she noticed the startled expressions looking back at her, she realised what she had just admitted. She really needed to be more careful with what she said around these people if she was going to keep her anonymity intact. So with a smile and a laugh, she added, "Metaphorically speaking, of course." The former Evil Queen hoped that it would be enough to cover up her admission.

Paul laughed heartily as he replied. "Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you. You can be one scary bitch, you know that?"

Regina smirked in response. She prided herself on being a 'scary bitch' as he put it. "I will take that as a compliment."

"You should, it was meant as one."

Emma, who had remained quiet and contemplative during the little exchange, eyed the other woman closely "So is this what you weren't telling me?" She queried, causing the brunette's attention to snap back to her.

"What do you mean?" Regina asked gulping harshly, her eyes widening at the prospect that she may have given up her true identity so thoughtlessly. She tried to mask the internal panic she was feeling and attempted to reassure herself that it wasn't possible for the other woman to have figured out who she was from one casual remark. But Regina was already working out potential excuses and escape strategies regardless.

"At the hospital, when I woke up. I could tell you were holding something back." The blonde clarified, eyes still narrowed and questioning.

"Oh, I see." The brunette let out a relieved breath. That made much more sense. "And how exactly did you come to that conclusion?" When she came to think about it; it really wasn't that much more logical.

"I kinda have this superpower," Emma stated nonchalantly with a hint of pride as she took a swig of her beer.

Paul leant in closer to Regina and said with a grin. "Here we go. This should be good." He sat back in his seat and folded his arms as he titled his head toward the blonde. "She's been telling people this since she was a kid and I'm yet to see it in action. So brace yourself, we could be in for quite the show here."

Emma let out an exasperated sigh. She knew when she was being made fun of. "It's true," she stated indignantly with a pout. Why was this so difficult for people to believe? "I can tell when someone's lying, at least, sixty-four percent of the time." Two unimpressed faces looked back at her so she repeated for emphasis. "At - least!"

"Well, that is quite the feat," Regina scoffed. "And how exactly does this superpower of your's work?"

"I feel it here." Emma didn't pick up on the sarcasm as she pointed to her stomach in an attempt to explain her talent.

Paul bit his lip to suppress a laugh. He could tell that the woman was sure in her belief of her ability. But he couldn't help himself, teasing her about it was too much fun. So he asked with a humourless expression, "Are you sure that's not hunger you're feeling?"

"I think I'd know the difference," the blonde said with annoyance. She was trying to be serious here; she had a genuine gift, and she was being mocked for it. It must have been how the X-men felt when they were persecuted for being mutants - this was virtually the same scenario. "It's like there's a ping in my gut, and then I know that the motherfuckers lying their ass off."

"Is that what happened when I recalled the traumatic events of that night?" Regina queried with a raised brow.

"Not exactly in those words - but you get the gist."

It still sounded ridiculous to the brunette, but she decided to placate the woman for now. Who was she to discredit someone who claimed they had some sort of mystical power? If she had confessed her own magical abilities, she probably would have been considered insane in this world. "Well, you stomach region was correct in this case. I decided not to tell you about it; it didn't seem necessary at the time."

"Ha! A genuine superpower in action," the blonde stated, feeling vindicated in her talents. She stood, puffed out her chest and placed her hands on her hips. "Just give me a cape and tights, and call me the Human Lie Detector."

"Why would we do that?" Regina asked in confusion. Paul just laughed; not with Emma - at her.

Emma huffed in annoyance, they were ruining her moment of empowerment. "Because it's my superpower," she explained and slumped back into her chair, "and superheroes wear capes and tights and have cool names." Upon receiving two stony-faced gazes, she sighed with exasperation and mumbled. "Never mind. Henry would have found it funny."

"Doubt it, Ems."

"Yeah, well…your face is funny." The blonde retorted to her friend in a weak comeback.

"Really? Is that really where you're going?" Paul asked with a smirk. Emma shook her head and winced. "Do you wish to retract your last comment?" She nodded with a lopsided smile and drank her beer. She should quit while she was ahead.

xxxxxxx

As midnight drew closer, and the New Year approached. Paul decided it was time to leave the women to their own devices while he found someone to see 2013 in with. He departed the table, giving both women a quick kiss on the cheek. He wished them a Happy New Year in case he didn't see them for the rest of the night, which was a distinct possibility. Then left, but not without gesturing towards Regina from behind her and mouthing a reminder at Emma - 'Tell her'.

Emma subtly nodded her understanding and watched the large TV screen as the clock it displayed ticked closer to the twelve. The two women sat quietly drinking and smiling a little awkwardly at one another as the room buzzed with excitement in the build-up to the New Year. Without Paul as a buffer, the conversation that had previously been so easy and free flowing, had now come to a standstill. Emma took the opportunity to decide on how to approach saying what she needed to the other woman.

"So, I was kinda thinking something." The blonde said as she leant in close enough so Regina could hear.

"Well, that's a rare occurrence," Regina replied with a smirk. Emma moved away and huffed at the response. The brunette really didn't make these things easy. "Are you just informing me in general, or do you wish to enlighten me on this thought?"

"Not if you are gonna be a snarky bitch about it," Emma mumbled too quietly for the other woman to hear as she had a quick drink of her beer to gather her nerves. Speaking more clearly she said, "I was thinking that maybe we could go out for a drink together."

"Isn't that what we are doing now?" Regina stated as she gestured to the table full of empty bottles and glasses.

The blonde shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Yeah, but at some other time, just the two of us," She said with an awkward smile. Regina had to get what she was asking, right?

"And where would this drink be?" The brunette replied with an unreadable expression. Emma regarded her closely, but she just couldn't gauge what the other woman was thinking.

"I dunno, at a bar maybe." Emma scratched her head while she thought of potential places they could go. With a hopeful smile, she suggested. "We could get a coffee if you'd prefer that." Emma shook her head, once she'd made the suggestion out loud, it'd sounded stupid. Nope, that was a terrible idea; it wasn't going to impress Regina at all. "It doesn't even need to be a drink. Maybe we could go out for a meal at a restaurant instead," The blonde tried. She looked on expectantly as she waited for a reply. Emma figured she couldn't have been any more clear. She was asking Regina on a date. Paul had to be happy with that. Declarations of feelings could come later. It was progress. Emma decided to congratulate herself with another swig of her beer.

"Of course, there would need to be food involved. Why do I need to be witness to any more of your excessive eating habits?" Regina said with an eye roll. "I take it everyone else has turned you down your offer, and I'm your last resort."

Obviously, the other woman hadn't understood what she'd been asking. "What? No, that's not what I'm saying. You're missing the point."

"Then what is your point exactly?" Regina asked impatiently. "You're not making any sense."

Emma let out a breath as she gathered her composure. This was it. She was going to have to do feelings and stuff. "I'm not very good at this sort of thing, but I figured it was now or never. Well, not never ever, but now is as good a time as any, right?" In the background, the crowd began counting down to midnight. Emma looked down at the beer bottle in hand. The label had started to peel away where she'd been picking at it while she contemplated how she would proceed. She couldn't quite meet the other woman's eye as she spoke. The blonde was afraid that if she did, she would lose her nerve altogether.

The room erupted as the New Year drew closer. **"Five!"**

"I like you, Regina. A lot." Emma began.

 **"Four!"**

"I think there's something happening between us." She picked at the beer label with her thumb some more. Still unable to meet the brunette's gaze.

 **"Three!"**

"And I hope that, maybe, you feel the same way." She chanced a look up at the other woman but reconsidered at the last moment.

 **"Two!"**

"We could be good together."

 **"One"**

Finally, Emma brought her anxious green eyes up to meet curious brown ones. She smiled hopefully at the other woman. "What do you say?"

 **"Happy New Year!"**

* * *

 **a/n:** The next chapter picks up straight from where this one left off. So stay tuned for Regina reaction and other developments.


	13. Chapter 12

a/n: I didn't want to leave you in suspense for too long. So here's the next chapter. I hope you'll think it's worth the cliff-hanger of the last one.

I really do hope that you like it and look forward to your feedback.

Thanks again for reading and your support. It's unbelievable!

* * *

 **"** **Happy New Year!"**

The bar filled with exuberant shouts and cheers as everyone celebrated the beginning of 2013. The television displayed the New Year's fireworks from Times Square, and champagne corks flew in all directions. But Emma blocked it all out. All she could focus on was the woman sat opposite her whose eyes were shrouded with uncertainty and confusion. The blonde waited for a response. Any response would do. Well, if she was honest with herself, she knew that was a lie. But she would take it over the baffled look she was receiving.

Emma let out a sigh at the lack of reply and regarded the other woman a moment longer before speaking. "It's fine. Don't worry, I get it," she replied dejectedly, shoulders hunched and mouth turned down at the corners. "Forget I mentioned anything." The blonde shook her head at her own stupidity. She had never been the type of person who wore their heart on their sleeve. This was why - rejection hurt. But at least, she'd tried. Surely that was better than never knowing how the other woman felt. She could tell herself that anyway. Emma hung her head and took in a shaky breath.

She sensed Regina shift closer to her side, but Emma didn't budge. The gentle touch of her fingers beneath her chin raised Emma's head; she had no choice but to meet the other woman's gaze. Emma tried her best to give to her a smile. However, she couldn't hide the sadness and longing that it was tinged with, her eyes betraying her conflicting emotions. With a sigh, she attempted to turn away to hide her vulnerability. Emma didn't like feeling this exposed. Regina placed her hand on Emma's cheek, preventing her from breaking their connection.

Instead, the blonde scrunched up her eyes and took a deep breath; looking at Regina was too hard for her right now. Emma's mind was raging with an internal conflict. She knew she shouldn't have listened to Paul. He was hardly an expert on these things. What did he know about women? She should have just pined quietly over the brunette, and they could have lived in a blissful state of ignorance forever after. But no, she had to go and open her big mouth and get all emotional. Sure, she felt disappointed and humiliated at the rejection, but she would get over that - eventually. That wasn't the biggest issue. It was the thought of losing the other woman from her life altogether that had Emma feeling so glum. Would this unwanted knowledge drive her away for good? At least, Regina hadn't abandoned her yet. That was some consolation to Emma; maybe they could just forget it ever happened and stay friends. Emma could live with that - she'd have to.

"Emma, look at me," Regina commanded firmly, distracting the blonde from her spiralling thoughts. Emma reluctantly opened her eyes to find the woman looking back at her with sincerity. In a much softer tone, she added. "I didn't hear you over the noise. Please, tell me what you said. I want to hear it." They looked at one another for a moment. The blonde considered what the woman said. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Regina didn't seem to be lying about not hearing her. She could give her the benefit of the doubt. She nodded slightly, more to reassure herself than the other woman. But Regina smiled gratefully regardless.

Feeling herself become more and more optimistic as the seconds passed, Emma internally debated her next step. As far as she was concerned, she had two choices. She could waffle her way through another declaration - probably messing it up in the process. Because now that Regina looked at her with such a genuine warmth, her face just inches from her own. Her brown eyes wide and vulnerable, so much so that it was almost as if Emma could see straight through them and into her soul. Eyes that were so enchanting, Emma didn't think she could bring herself to look away ever again. A caring hand lain softly on her face, with a thumb rubbing reassuring, yet distracting circles over her cheek; leaving a searing tingle in its wake. Now that she was entranced by everything that was Regina, Emma didn't think the words she needed to convey would be able to form anymore.

Instead, she went with option two. She would show her how she felt. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. And Emma had ever been much of a wordsmith.

Without giving herself another moment to reconsider, Emma lunged forward and crashed their lips together.

It didn't take long for Regina to respond once Emma's soft lips met her own. She closed her eyes and cupped the back of her head, lacing her fingers through blonde hair. She pulled the woman impossibly closer. This time, she wouldn't let her run away. She wouldn't allow her to feel unwanted. Regina kissed Emma with a need that surprised herself. A quiet groan escaping her lips, which was engulfed by the buzz of the room. Regina knew that being with Emma, kissing her, felt right. It felt real. It felt inevitable.

After a few moments, the pair slowly pulled apart. Both women breathed heavily as they looked deeply into each other's eyes. Their foreheads still resting against one another.

"Yeah, uh, that was pretty much what I said," Emma informed the other women with a slowly unfurling smile.

Regina, who was still finding her bearings with the sudden onslaught of emotions she felt, replied huskily. "Oh, I see, well it was worth repeating."

Emma grinned even wider at the response. "Was it really?" She asked, her confidence growing at the sight of the now slightly flustered woman.

"Absolutely," the brunette said with a smirk.

"You know, we should probably repeat it again; I think I might have missed some things out."

"In that case, we must. It may have been something important."

xxxxxxxx

Paul had spent the last few minutes making out with the hot guy who was stood near to him in the crowd as the New Year arrived. He had taken a punt on kissing whichever man set his gaydar off loudest and was within arms-length. It had turned out to be a safe bet in the end. Well, the guy hadn't punched him as the clock struck midnight, at least. So, Paul figured his gay intuition was still in full working order.

When the celebrations had begun to die down, he headed back towards his table with his new friend and a bottle of free bubbly (If people were going to leave a perfectly good bottle of champagne laying around, they were just begging for it to get taken). He hadn't planned on going back to see Emma and Regina, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. If the blonde hadn't gotten her act together tonight he'd be having words with her. Actually, he should probably be encouraging Regina more too. He made a mental note to pay the woman a visit that week.

Paul continued his stream of thought as he made his way through the crowd. He stopped dead in his tracks with an audible gasp as he caught sight of the two women in question in once another's embrace. The shock quickly wore away to be replaced with delight. Overcome with joy, he let out a very unmanly squeal and hugged Fabio, or was it, Lorenzo? Whatever-his-name-was.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He exclaimed as he gestured over at the table, where Emma and Regina were passionately locking lips. "Two hot women, finally getting their shit together and making out like a pair of teenagers. And all because of me," he let out a sigh as he mentally congratulated himself. Would it be too much for him to give himself a standing ovation for his good work? No, he didn't think it would. "Come on, let me introduce you."

"They look a little busy," Whatever-his-name-was said in a British accent. Paul liked it. Tall, hot, dark and British - this guy was getting better by the second. If he had a set of rock hard abs, he would be the full package.

Paul shrugged and made his way over to the table regardless. "They'll need to come up for air eventually."

xxxxxxxx

"What the fuck, Paul? How long have you been standing there gawking at us?" Emma said with outrage and a hint of embarrassment after she'd managed to tear herself apart from Regina.

"Long enough," Paul replied with a smirk. It had been less than a minute since he'd arrived at the table, but that was more than enough woman-on-woman kissing to last him a lifetime. Nevertheless, he was feeling in good spirits and believed a toast was in order to mark the momentous achievement. "I think this calls for some Champers, ladies," Paul stated as he filled four empty glasses and passed them around the group. He held his own aloft and puffed out his chest. With a proud smile, he remained standing while he looked meaningfully at each woman in turn. Holding the lapel of his blazer and clearing his throat he announced, "To me - long may my eternal wisdom and awesomeness continue."

He received three confound expressions in response to his heartfelt toast. Nevertheless, he forcibly clinked his glass with the others which were held aloft, despite those sat at the table making no effort to do so.

"Why exactly are we toasting you?" Regina queried, taking a sip of her Champagne anyway.

The young man rolled his eyes at the need to explain himself. "Becau-ause without me, you two wouldn't have been swapping saliva tonight. Or, let's face it, probably ever." He said with a self-righteous huff as he sat down next to his hottie, and looked on unamused.

"You don't know that" Emma retorted indignantly. Paul refused to respond to that. It was an insult to his intelligence, and self-imposed status as her gay best friend and life-coach. He just raised a sceptical eyebrow and pursed his lips. Giving Emma his patented 'Bitch, please' face as he looked her up and down. She got the message loud and clear. He sipped on his free Champagne ignoring her narrowed eyes. It tasted all the sweeter when he was right. Emma huffed and folded her arms, before conceding. "Fine, you have a point." Paul gave her a 'Tell me something new' shrug in lieu of a verbal reply.

Regina eyed the pair with a hint of a frown and questioning eyes. "I'm not following," She said to Paul.

He leant across the table and took her hand in his own, addressing her as seriously as he could muster. "Regina, my sweet, delicate, burgeoning gay flower," he began. The brunette rolled her eyes and let out a quick haughty laugh at the moniker. Paul continued unfazed. "Do you really think that our Emma would have had the balls to tell you how she felt without a bit of not-so-gentle persuasion?" Regina tilted her head as she pondered her answer. Before she had the chance to vocalise it, she was cut off by the young man. "To answer that for you. No, she would not."

Emma, who had sunk further down in her seat with her arms still folded across her chest, responded petulantly to the insinuation, "I might have."

"Really?" Paul asked cynically. He thought the notion was laughable. So he had a chuckle to himself as he finished the dregs of his champagne.

Emma sighed as she fidgeted with something on the table, not able to look anyone in the eye as she answered. "Maybe at some point," she said without any conviction, "eventually."

He placed his empty glass on the table and with a condescending smile, he responded. "You tell yourself that, babes."

The group sat in silence for a while. Paul stared at his new British beau; purposefully ignoring Emma, who was glowering at him from across the table.

"You two make a lovely couple," Whatever-his-name-was said brightly, breaking the tension that followed the exchange. It was enough to bring Emma out of her sulk. Both women looked lovingly at one another, before smiling at the man.

"Thanks," the blonde responded. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name."

"It's Boris," he replied in his deep, eloquent voice.

The man struck up a conversation with the women while Paul sat quietly contemplating. _Hmm…so it's Boris then - that's disappointing. Why did I think he was called Fabio or Lorenzo? Boris doesn't suit someone so attractive. It should be something more exotic. He looks much more like a Fabio. Yeah, I'm gonna call him Fabio._

"Me and Fabio are gonna head off and leave you two lovebirds to your canoodling," the young man interjected, cutting the group off mid-conversation. Boris looked up in confusion as Paul stood. But he grabbed the baffled man and pulled him to his feet to clarify that he was indeed referring to him. "Night, ladies. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He said with a smirk as he blew them a kiss and turned to leave. Stopping after a few paces, he held up his hand and turned back to face the women. "Actually, screw that." With a wink, Paul added in a lower, more suggestive tone. "Do all the things I wouldn't do."

Once Paul sauntered out of the bar, cackling all the way, Regina went to the bathroom to re-do her make-up and straighten up her somewhat tousled appearance. Emma, meanwhile, sent a text Mable to inform her that they would be heading home soon. She was less concerned about how she looked at that moment. The blonde grabbed the rest of the champagne to take with them for the taxi ride home; she wasn't going to leave a half full bottle of bubbly waste. When Regina made a reappearance looking as flawless as ever, the two women headed outside into the cool night to hail a cab.

The cab ride home was one filled with easy conversation and laughter. Maybe it was the alcohol they shared straight from the bottle, or perhaps it was finally acknowledging what they felt for one another. Whatever it was, any sign of awkwardness or discomfort in one another presence was absent. And any tension that once existed when they were alone or in a confined space together was now gone. More progress - they drank to that.

xxxxxxxx

The two women entered the apartment building side by side, continuing their conversation from the journey over. Their hands brushing one another as they walked down the hall toward the elevator. Emma pressed the button to call it to their floor and looked over at the woman next to her with a bright smile.

"I had a good time tonight."

"So did I," Regina replied, reflecting a smile of her own back at the other woman.

Emma stepped a little closer and gazed into contented brown eyes, which she left only briefly to look at plump red lips. "We should do it again soon."

"I agree."

The blonde bit her lip for a moment, before continuing, "Maybe just me and you, next time?" She asked with more confidence than she had displayed when making the suggestion a little earlier that night.

"Sounds perfect," Regina answered, smile widening even further.

"Okay, good," Emma said now staring at the other woman's mouth again. Had she mentioned that Regina had a beautiful smile?

"Emma?" The brunette said, bringing Emma's focus back to her amused eyes.

"Yeah?"

"I think this is the part where you're supposed to kiss me."

"And why can't you kiss me, huh?"

Regina rolled her eyes at the woman. "Are you really going to - " Emma cut her off with her mouth. They almost fell into the elevator once the doors opened. Their lips only parting long enough for Emma to press the button to take them to her floor.

xxxxxxx

As the elevator came to a stop, the two women reluctantly parted from one another's embrace and tried to put together their considerably dishevelled appearances. Emma's messy bun was even messier as half her hair had now fallen out of it. Regina's skintight dress had risen up her thighs from where the blonde had lifted her against the elevator wall. As they scrambled in vain to make themselves appear more respectable, neither noticed the doors opening to reveal an elderly woman standing on the other side of them.

"Hello, Lovelies. You two have good timing; I was just heading down to check on Ginger. Did you know that dog in 214 has gone and got her pregnant? Poor thing is due in a couple of weeks." Mable rambled as Emma and Regina stood rigid and wide-eyed. They chanced a quick glance at one another and thought they'd got away undetected. Emma let out a relieved breath as she thought of the rather compromising position they almost gotten caught in. Oblivious to the shock the women felt at her unexpected appearance, Mable stepped inside with them and added. "Henry's still up by the way. He wanted to watch the fireworks on the TV, so I let him stay up late. But when we got your message, he decided he wouldn't go to bed until you got home," the woman shook her head with a fond smile. "I tried my best, but that son of your's can be as stubborn as a mule when he gets an idea in his head."

Emma nodded slack-jawed, not really taking in what the woman was saying. It took her a few moments longer to come to her senses and step out into the corridor. "''Kay, well, thanks again, Mable," She said with a quick smile at the elderly woman. She decided to vacate the scene as quickly as possible. Regina was a grown woman. She could cope on her own for one elevator ride. And it would be suspicious if Regina got out with her. The blonde ventured a look over her shoulder at the woman who still hadn't moved from her spot since the elevator doors had opened. Emma gave her an apologetic smile which went unanswered. "I should probably go."

"Emma, dear?" Mable said drawing Emma's attention back to her.

"Yu-huh?"

"You'd better wipe Regina's lipstick from around your mouth before you see Henry," Mable said matter of factly and without any hesitation. It caused Emma's eyebrow's to shoot up her forehead, and a gasp of surprise to escape her lips. She had no words. Instead, she wiped her hand across her mouth and looked uncomfortably from Mable to Regina, whose eyes had widened further in shock. She looked like she was about to either throw up or murder Emma. It was hard to tell at that point in time. "Goodnight, Lovely. And a Happy New Year to you." The elderly woman added with a knowing smile as the elevator door closed on the gobsmacked blonde.

Mable now turned her attention to the brunette who was busy attempting to straighten her dress and her tousled hair. "Do you mind if we go to the ground floor first, dear? It's late and I'm shattered." Regina shook her head and pressed the button for the elderly woman. She was still feeling dumbstruck by the sudden appearance and keen observational skills of the almost Ninety-year-old. "When you get to my age, making it past ten o'clock is an achievement." Mable quipped with a laugh.

The brunette couldn't bring herself to look at the woman; so she looked straight ahead instead. It wasn't that she was ashamed of her and Emma. It was more the indignity of getting caught in such a position. She had gotten carried away with herself tonight. She was not the sort of woman who displayed her affections so publicly. It was inappropriate and she would not allow it to happen again. That kind of behaviour wasn't fit for a Queen, but she wasn't a Queen anymore was she?

"You have a nice evening, lovely?" Mable queried, acting totally oblivious the younger woman's evident discomfort. Regina hummed her reply; she thought her words may betray her unease at this moment.

"Good, good. I hope my Paulie didn't get himself into any trouble. I know how he can be." Regina didn't answer. She just stood rigidly facing the elevator door, willing it to open soon. Had this elevator become slower since yesterday?

"So, you and Emma-"

"What about us?" Regina snapped. She had found her voice now. She didn't know what the elderly landlady was going to insinuate about them, but she was ready to lash out at whatever derogatory or disapproving comment, she was going say.

"It's about damn time," Mable said with a nod and a smile as she patted Regina encouragingly on the shoulder. The brunette stared back in shock. She hadn't expected that remark from the woman. First there was Paul's reaction and apparent role in their potential courtship, and now Mable's assured response to them. Had she and Emma really been that obvious with their affections for one another?

As Regina mused to herself, she didn't even notice the elevator come to a halt and Mable leaving through the now open door. She remained motionless and lost in contemplation.

The elderly woman gave the stunned woman a warm smile and gently said. "G'Night, dear."

Regina didn't have the capacity to respond. It wasn't until Mable got back inside and pressed the button marked 8, did she blink herself back to awareness and whisper, "Goodnight."


End file.
